The Kaduna State chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has accused some military personnel and local government officials of colluding in what it called the “targeted killing and persecution” of Fulani herders in Southern Kaduna.
In a blistering statement titled “A Betrayal of Justice” and signed by its chairman, Alhaji Abdulhamid Musa Albarka, the group alleged a recurring pattern of “violence, injustice and betrayal” against its members in the region, warning that the actions of certain officials risked undermining fragile peace efforts.
According to MACBAN, four herders — Suleiman Idris, Yusuf Abdullahi, Hamidu Dauda and Ibrahim Hassan — were ambushed on 28 September at Tanda village in Jema’a Local Government Area while attempting to access an old cattle route allegedly blocked by local groups.
“Their only offence was asking why their traditional grazing path had been unlawfully blocked,” the statement said. “Suleiman Idris was murdered in cold blood, while the others sustained serious and permanent injuries. Their cattle, the sole means of their livelihood, were scattered into the wilderness.”
Albarka described the attack as a “deliberate, premeditated assault” intended to “annihilate” the Fulani community, adding that the violence was neither spontaneous nor retaliatory.
The association accused the Chairman of Jema’a Local Government Council, Peter Tanko Dogara, of interfering with police investigations and obstructing justice. While commending the Divisional Police Officer in Kafanchan for attempting to arrest suspects, MACBAN claimed Dogara’s alleged interference amounted to “a gross abuse of office.”
“It is regrettable that the chairman failed to visit the victims or condole with their families,” Albarka said. “His indifference and bias have eroded public confidence and undermined Governor Uba Sani’s reconciliation efforts.”
The statement also criticised elements of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) — the military task force overseeing security in Southern Kaduna and Plateau State — for allegedly ignoring intelligence reports that warned of imminent attacks.
“This omission directly enabled the murder of Suleiman Idris and the grievous wounding of others,” MACBAN said. “When soldiers turn a blind eye to violence, justice dies, and faith in national institutions collapses.”
In a veiled reference to the Chief of Defence Staff, who hails from the region, the group questioned what it called “the persistent silence, selective response, and absence of accountability” from military leadership.
“Leadership in such a sensitive role demands fairness and balance,” Albarka said. “The Defence Headquarters must reassess its posture in Southern Kaduna to dispel growing suspicions of sectional loyalty.”
MACBAN urged President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Council to order an independent probe into the killings, warning that failure to act decisively could deepen mistrust between communities.
The group called on Tinubu to set up a judicial panel of inquiry to investigate both the killings and the alleged complicity of local and military officials. It also demanded a review of the Operation Safe Haven command structure, and the “reprimand, redeployment or retirement” of any officer found culpable.
Governor Uba Sani, the group said, should suspend the Jema’a council chairman pending investigation and intensify peace-building measures in the state.
“The peace initiative of Governor Uba Sani is being sabotaged by rogue officials and compromised commanders,” the statement read. “We reaffirm our commitment to peace and dialogue, but peace cannot be built on the graves of the innocent. Justice must prevail, or the fragile peace in Kaduna will collapse beyond repair.”
