The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has called on the United States Congress to remove its name from a proposed sanctions list, insisting it is a lawful, non-violent organisation unfairly linked to religious persecution and insecurity in Nigeria.
In a resolution introduced on November 4, US lawmaker Smith Christopher recommended visa bans and asset freezes against members of MACBAN and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore.
The resolution further urged Washington to designate “Fulani-Ethnic Militias” operating in Benue and Plateau states as entities of particular concern under the International Religious Freedom Act.
But speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Sunday, MACBAN President, Baba Ngelzarma, dismissed the allegations as “misleading and incomplete,” warning that the resolution mischaracterised the association and blurred critical distinctions between criminal gangs and legitimate pastoralists.
Ngelzarma said, “We reject the misleading and incomplete assertions contained in the resolution.
“MACBAN is a lawful socio-cultural and economic association registered by the Federal Government since 1986. We are not a militia, we are not a violent organisation.”
Ngelzarma argued that the US Congress failed to acknowledge the scale of violence suffered by pastoralist communities over the past decade.
According to data presented at the briefing, MACBAN said that between 2015 and 2025, 18,600 pastoralists were killed, 1.29 million displaced, 87,543 houses destroyed, and over one million cattle rustled or slaughtered.
“These figures show a community under attack, not one perpetrating violence,” the MACBAN president said.
He added that herders have consistently been framed through a one-sided narrative that ignores their own losses in Nigeria’s worsening security situation.
MACBAN stressed that it has long collaborated with security and development organisations on peace initiatives. Ngelzarma highlighted its partnerships with the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Traditional institutions, USAID and Mercy Corps.
He said these engagements show the association’s commitment to conflict prevention, mediation, and peaceful coexistence across communities.
Ngelzarma disclosed that the association had formally submitted a letter to the US Congress via the American embassy in Abuja, urging lawmakers to strike its name from the list of entities recommended for sanctions.
He warned that branding a legitimate association as a militia group could inflame tensions and undermine ongoing peacebuilding efforts.
The US Congress is expected to hold a hearing on Thursday to review President Donald Trump’s recent redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over alleged religious persecution.
