By Winnie Onu, Makurdi
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Benue State chapter, has decried a series of violent attacks and mass cattle rustling incidents against its members across the state.
In a statement issued on Sunday and jointly signed by the State Chairman, Ardo Risku Mohammed, and the Secretary, Ibrahim Galma, the association lamented the theft of hundreds of cattle and the killing of a herder in recent weeks.
According to the statement, suspected criminals believed to be from the Agatu community recently rustled 150 cattle belonging to one Umar Rabiu in Agatu Local Government Area.
The statement alleged an additional 130 cattle reportedly stolen from another herder in the same LGA, adding that none of the rustled livestock has been recovered so far.
The association further stated that on June 2, 2025, another incident occurred near Yogbo community in Guma LGA, close to the Nasarawa State border.
“In that attack, 905 cattle and 54 sheep owned by four herders – Abubakar Abdullahi, Babangida Hassan, Samaila Baba, and Sani Hassan – were stolen,” they stated.
The Benue State Police Command, according to MACBAN, intercepted some of the suspected rustlers and recovered 162 of the stolen animals. However, the group noted that 33 of the recovered cattle were badly injured, and 743 cattle along with 54 sheep are still unaccounted for.
According to the statement, by the following day, June 3, when the affected herders traveled to Makurdi to retrieve the recovered animals, they were reportedly ambushed near Lafia Garage in the North Bank area of the city and one of the herders, Sani Hassan, was killed in the attack, which MACBAN blamed on suspected youths.
The association condemned the violence and urged the Benue State government and security agencies to investigate and bring the perpetrators of both the rustling and the killing to justice.
“All the relevant security agencies in the state are aware of these incidents. We urge the state government to not only investigate these cases thoroughly but also to support the victims in the interest of peace and justice. Our hope is that the state’s intervention will be treated with the urgency it deserves,” the statement read.
Reacting to the development, the Chairman of Agatu LGA, Melvin James, told journalists in Makurdi that the council received the report and promptly alerted the police and Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), who have commenced investigations.
Also confirming the incidents, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Udeme Edet, acknowledged the rustling and the recovery of some cattle, although she did not specify the number.
Edet also confirmed the killing of the herder at North Bank and appealed to criminal elements to desist from such acts to avoid escalating tensions in the state, warning that the police command would not hesitate to prosecute anyone found culpable in cattle rustling or related crimes.
