Miyetti Allah Pushes Back Against U.S. Sanctions Threat, Rejects Allegations of Violence
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has rejected allegations linking it to violent att@cks on Christian communities in Nigeria, following a move by United States lawmakers to place the group under review for possible sanctions.
In an interview with BBC Hausa, MACBAN’s National President, Baba Othman Ngenzarma, described the allegations as unsubstantiated and said the association’s mandate is strictly socio-economic.
“In our organisation, there is no religion or ethnic group that is excluded. We have Hausas, Yorubas, Igbos, and followers of both Islam and Christianity,” he said, adding that MACBAN does not bear arms and has never sponsored viol3nce.
Last month, the United States Congress listed MACBAN among entities under consideration for sanctions, citing concerns over alleged involvement in att@cks against Christians in parts of Nigeria. The review includes potential travel restrictions and asset freezes.
Baba Othman said the association was surprised by the development, stressing that no Nigerian authority has charged MACBAN with any crime. “We do not carry weapons, and we have never sponsored any att@ck. The government has never charged us with any crime,” he said.
The sanctions push was advanced by U.S. lawmakers Riley Moore and Chris Smith, who cited a committee report alleging that Christians in Nigeria “have long been subjected to discrimination and viol3nce.”
Responding to the claims, MACBAN’s leadership argued that individual wrongdoing should not be attributed to an entire association. “You may find wrongdoers among police officers or soldiers, but that does not mean the whole institution is corrupt,” Baba Othman said.
He also stated that MACBAN has engaged Nigerian security agencies and foreign missions, submitting records of members k!lled during security incidents, including names, dates, and photographs, as evidence of cooperation rather than culpability.
According to the association, most herder–farmer conflicts in Nigeria stem from land-use disputes exacerbated by desertification, shrinking grazing routes, and competition over farmland, not religion or ethnicity. “Disputes arise over land use, not faith or tribe,” Baba Othman said.
The U.S. review has intensified debate within Nigeria over how international actors interpret complex local security crises, particularly in regions affected by long-running communal tensions and criminal viol3nce involving multiple armed groups.
