50 Members of Group Tragically Killed, 200 Cows Taken

• The Kaduna State chapter of MACBAN said cattle rustlers had taken more than 200,000 cows from its members since the start of 2026
• The association said over 50 of its members were killed during the same period under different circumstances, including bandit attacks
• MACBAN chairman Alhaji Abdulhamid Musa named 14 local government areas where members reported heavy livestock losses

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Kaduna State chapter, has said cattle rustlers and related insecurity have cost its members more than 200,000 cows and over 50 lives since January 2026.

State chairman Alhaji Abdulhamid Musa made the disclosure at a press briefing focused on the security and livelihood challenges facing cattle breeders across Kaduna State.

Musa said some of the stolen animals had already been traced and recovered, with cattle found as far away as Lagos just days before the briefing. "Some [cattle] have been recovered recently, even three or four days ago. Some were recovered as far as Lagos. Our people are there trying to do the needful, collect them and return them to their owners," he said.

Members killed in multiple circumstances

On the deaths, Musa said the killings fell into distinct categories. "Some are as a result of communal clashes, some are attacks by farmers, while others are killings by bandits in the process of rustling the cattle," he said, adding, "Roughly, we can say that we have lost over 50 people from January to date."

He named Kachia, Chikun, Kagarko, Giwa, Igabi, Jama'a, Kaura, Sanga, Jaba, Kudan, Makarfi, Lere, Zangon-Kataf and Kauru as areas where members had suffered significant livestock losses.

MACBAN's demands from government and security agencies

Musa described cattle as far more than a commercial commodity for pastoralists, saying the loss of an entire herd could drive whole communities into hardship. He urged the Kaduna State Government and security agencies to step up operations against rural criminality.

He also raised concerns about the Rijana livestock market in Kachia along the Kaduna-Abuja highway, saying there were allegations that animals obtained through criminal means could be entering the market.

The chairman called for joint intelligence-led operations by the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force, Civil Defence and other agencies in identified hotspot areas, as well as improved security along livestock routes. He asked the state government to form a committee to assess losses and consider support for verified victims.

Musa also called for greater cooperation between farmers and pastoralists, arguing that dialogue and coexistence would benefit both peace and economic development in Kaduna State.

He was clear that MACBAN did not stand behind those committing crimes. "We do not support or defend criminals, regardless of their ethnic, religious, occupational or communal background," he said, while also appealing against the blanket profiling of law-abiding pastoralists because of the conduct of criminals.