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57 FULANI HERDERS KILLED, OVER 4,000 CATTLE STOLEN IN BENUE IN 2025 —MACBAN, ALLEGES SYSTEMATIC ATTACKS, MEDIA SILENCE
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has alleged that more than 57 Fulani herders have been killed and over 4,348 cattle stolen in Benue State in 2025 alone, with no single arrest, prosecution, or compensation for the victims.Travel guides for Nigeria
In a statement titled “two wrongs don’t make a right”, MACBAN painted a bleak picture of the plight of Fulani herders, accusing the authorities of neglect and the media of silence.
The group described the violence as systematic and targeted, warning that continued injustice would only escalate tensions and hinder peace efforts.
“From January 2024 to December 2024, 44 pastoralists were killed and 328 cows stolen in Gwer West and Logo LGAs alone,” the group said.
“From January 2025 to date, over 57 herders were killed in Benue State, with over 4,348 herds of cattle stolen. The most unfortunate part is the perpetrators are not arrested nor talk of being prosecuted nor victims compensated.”
They said many herders have been displaced and forced to flee into Nasarawa State due to sustained attacks, loss of livelihoods, and fear for their lives.
“Unfortunately, much as we try to live in peace with other Nigerians, Fulani Cattle Breeders are often isolated for ethnic profiling, stigmatised, taunted and abused.Travel guides for Nigeria
“In several cases, our members are attacked, killed and hundreds of thousands of cattle are stolen and their properties destroyed.
“The voices of most of our members are not heard due to the fact that most of them are not literate, live in hard-to-reach areas, and have limited or no access to the media and the internet. Their losses, both human and material don’t get media attention let alone grab the headlines,” MACBAN said.
The group continued, “While we cannot detail all of the attacks on herders in Benue State, we, however, shall mention a few. Between September to December 2024, 12 Fulani herders were killed in Logo LGA of Benue State.
“In January 2025, eight herders were killed in Kwande LGA of the state and 268 cattle either rustled or killed. On January 12, 2025, two herders were murdered by Tiv farmers in Guma LGA. In February 2025, two young herders were killed in Katsina Ala and their bodies burned. In March 2025, four herders were killed near Zaki Biam in Ukum LGA, and 85 cattle stolen.
“In Gwer West LGA is one LGA where Fulani Herders have suffered losses running into millions of naira. We are constrained by space and time to list the hundreds of attacks on Fulani herders around Benue State, not to mention the losses we recorded from ‘accidental aerial attacks’ by the Nigeria Air Force.Travel guides for Nigeria
“This statement paints a dire picture of ongoing violence, displacement, and loss suffered by Fulani Herders in Benue and those fleeing the state into Nasarawa State.”
While thanking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his visit to Benue State, MACBAN urged traditional, political, and religious leaders in the state to stop promoting division and embrace peace efforts.
