A stakeholder in the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Hajia Aminat Idris, has called on the federal government to urgently intervene and rescue cattle breeders across the country from what she described as “mounting threats” that could cripple the livestock sector and worsen Nigeria’s economic challenges.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with newsmen in Ilorin the Kwara state capital, Hajia Idris lamented that cattle breeders in various states have been facing a sustained wave of violent attacks, kidnappings and cattle rustling, leaving many families devastated and businesses on the brink of collapse.
According to her, scores of MACBAN members have lost their lives in recent times to targeted attacks by armed groups, while others have been kidnapped for ransom in remote grazing areas. She disclosed that hundreds of cattle have also been rustled, depriving breeders of their primary source of livelihood and plunging many into deep financial distress.
“These are not just attacks on our members,” Hajia Idris stressed, “they are direct assaults on a sector that contributes significantly to the economy of this country. The cattle rearing business is a major pillar of Nigeria’s food supply chain. If this sector is allowed to collapse, the consequences will be far-reaching, from food scarcity to rising costs of meat and dairy products.”
The MACBAN woman leader called on security agencies to put in more efforts to protect breeders and their livestock, noting that in many cases, reports of attacks are met with slow or no response. She warned that the continued insecurity in cattle rearing communities is fuelling tension, disrupting trade and pushing many breeders out of business entirely.
Hajia Aminat Idris therefore urged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to prioritise the protection of cattle breeders by deploying more security operatives to vulnerable grazing areas, strengthening anti-rustling laws and creating special intervention funds to assist victims of attacks.
“We are law abiding citizens contributing to national growth. All we are asking for is protection for our lives, our cattle and our means of livelihood. Without urgent government action, the damage to the livestock industry will be irreversible,” she cautioned.
She further called for collaboration between state governments, traditional rulers and local communities to enhance intelligence gathering, promote peaceful coexistence and address the root causes of the growing insecurity in cattle rearing areas.
