“We Are Victims, Not Terrorists” — Miyetti Allah Speaks On Proposed U.S. Sanctions
✍️ By Teju/ February 16, 2026/ 12:26pm
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has publicly rejected efforts by the United States Congress to link it with terrorism and extreme violence, insisting that pastoralists are victims of insecurity, not perpetrators of terror.
At a press briefing in Abuja on Sunday, National President Alhaji Baba Ngelzarma addressed concerns over a proposed U.S. legislative measure, the H.R. 7457, Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026, currently before the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill recommends targeted sanctions, including visa bans and asset freezes under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, against individuals and groups accused of severe religious freedom violations in Nigeria. Those listed include MACBAN and related Fulani pastoralist organisations as well as former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and others.
Speaking at the event, Ngelzarma stressed that no court in Nigeria or abroad has ever convicted MACBAN of criminal or terrorist activity. He rejected all suggestions that the association has ties to banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, or cattle rustling, calling such claims “false, unfounded, and injurious to the integrity of a duly registered national association.”
MACBAN representatives pointed out that the organisation, legally established in 1986 and recognised by federal and state governments, plays a legitimate role in livestock development, pastoral welfare, and conflict mediation across rural Nigeria. Ngelzarma highlighted that pastoralist communities themselves have suffered attacks from armed groups that rustle cattle, displace families, and assassinate local leaders. “In 2025 alone, at least eight of our state leaders were killed by criminal elements,” he noted, emphasising that pastoralists are frequently victims of violence, not supporters of it.
In addition to rejecting the terrorism narrative, MACBAN is urging Nigeria’s Senate Committees on Foreign Affairs and National Security and Intelligence to take a unified stance that corrects the perceived mischaracterisation and to open diplomatic channels with the U.S. Congress for constructive engagement. Leaders also called on the Federal Government, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the National Security Adviser, to deepen diplomatic efforts to ensure that counterterrorism cooperation is guided by accurate information and not generalised profiles.
Critics of the U.S. bill, including political figures within Nigeria, argue that foreign sanctions could have wider economic and social implications, potentially marginalising pastoral communities that contribute significantly to Nigeria’s rural economy and protein supply. They also warn that sanctions may deepen insecurity and hinder peace‑building efforts already underway.
As the debate continues, MACBAN’s stance highlights the broader tensions between foreign policy frameworks and local security dynamics in Nigeria, where narratives of terrorism and religious freedom intersect with complex ethnic, economic, and pastoral livelihoods.
