Nigeria's Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association rejects US report linking Fulani to militants

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) issued a statement after the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom released a report on May 8, 2026. While welcoming parts of the report that differentiate criminal groups from the millions of peaceful Fulani pastoralists, MACBAN stressed that the estimated 30,000 armed Fulani militants cited do not represent the 14.5 million Fulani citizens in the country.

National President Baba Ngelzarma condemned ethnic profiling and warned that linking the entire Fulani community to banditry or terrorism could fuel division ahead of the 2027 elections. The association pledged full cooperation with federal security forces and traditional rulers, directing its state and zonal branches to deepen intelligence‑sharing to identify criminal elements. MACBAN also called for reforms in the livestock sector, including support for ranching, as a long‑term solution to conflicts tied to open grazing.

The group reiterated that law‑abiding pastoralists are often victims of cattle rustling, kidnappings and retaliatory attacks, and it denounced all forms of violence regardless of the perpetrators’ identity.