The Kaduna State chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has called for a military investigation into what it describes as a “targeted killing and persecution” of Fulani herders in Southern Kaduna.
In a damning statement titled “A Betrayal of Justice”, MACBAN accuses military personnel and local government officials of complicity in the violent assault on Fulani herders in the region. The statement was signed by Alhaji Abdulhamid Musa Albarka, the association’s chairman.
On September 28, 2025, four herders—Suleiman Idris, Yusuf Abdullahi, Hamidu Dauda, and Ibrahim Hassan—were ambushed by armed militias at Tanda Village in Jema’a Local Government Area. The herders were reportedly trying to access an old cattle route that had allegedly been blocked by local groups.
The attack, according to MACBAN, was “premeditated and unprovoked.” The statement details how Suleiman Idris was brutally murdered, while the other three herders sustained severe injuries. The herders’ cattle, the only means of sustenance for their families, were scattered after the attack, leaving them vulnerable.
“This was not a misunderstanding nor a spontaneous clash,” Albarka said, condemning the act as “a deliberate, premeditated assault on innocent and unarmed citizens—a calculated act aimed at annihilating their community and livelihood.”
MACBAN also claims that the Chairman of Jema’a Local Government Council, Hon. Peter Tanko Dogara, interfered with police investigations, frustrating efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice. “It is regrettable that the chairman failed to visit the victims or condole with the bereaved families,” Albarka added. He also accused the chairman of a “gross abuse of office.”
In the statement, MACBAN expressed deep concern over the alleged negligence of security forces, particularly military personnel involved in Operation Safe Haven, which is tasked with ensuring peace in parts of Southern Kaduna and Plateau State. The association claims that security commanders ignored intelligence reports of rising tension in the area, which ultimately contributed to the killings.
“This omission directly enabled the murder of Suleiman Idris and the grievous wounding of others,” the statement stressed.
MACBAN went on to call for a reassessment of the security situation in Southern Kaduna. They expressed their disappointment at the persistent “silence, selective response, and absence of accountability” from the Chief of Defence Staff, who hails from the region.
“Leadership in such a sensitive role demands not only competence but perceived fairness and balance,” Albarka emphasized. He called for a thorough review of the military’s posture in the region and urged the Defence Headquarters to act impartially.
MACBAN issued a series of demands to President Bola Tinubu, Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State, and the federal government, including the establishment of a judicial panel of inquiry into the killings and the alleged complicity of local officials and security operatives.
The association also called for a comprehensive review of the national security architecture, particularly the command structure of Operation Safe Haven, to ensure fairness and accountability. “The President must reprimand, redeploy, or retire any security officers whose actions or inactions have contributed to the escalation of violence in Southern Kaduna,” the statement read.
Furthermore, MACBAN urged Governor Uba Sani to suspend Hon. Peter Tanko Dogara, the Jema’a council chairman, pending an investigation into his role in obstructing justice. The group also demanded stronger peace initiatives, calling for more security personnel in vulnerable areas and the disarmament of armed militias.
“Governor Uba Sani’s peace initiative is being sabotaged by rogue officials and compromised commanders whose silence perpetuates division,” MACBAN said. “We reaffirm our commitment to peace and dialogue, but we insist that peace cannot be built on the graves of the innocent. Justice must prevail, or the fragile peace in Kaduna will disintegrate beyond repair,” Albarka concluded.
