How airstrikes in Nasarawa led to the deaths of 31 herdsmen: Miyetti Allah
The Nigerian Air Force is allegedly responsible for the deaths of several of its members in the Rukubi community of the Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, according to the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN).
This was revealed in a statement released on Thursday by Baba Ngelzarma, president of MACBAN.
He claimed that members of the Nigerian Air Force Base in Makurdi, Benue State, slaughtered the herders—a group of roughly 40 individuals.
He claimed that they perished on the way back from Makurdi, the capital of Benue State, where they had gone to collect more than a thousand cows taken by the Benue Livestock Guards.
He claimed that after N29 million in fines were paid, the guards released some of the livestock to the herders, who were tragically pursued and slain while offloading the cattle shortly after arriving at their destination in Nasarawa State.
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) issued the following statement: “The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) condemns the barbaric killing of 30 pastoralists and an unspecified number of livestock by a purported bombing raid from an unknown source on January 21, 2023, in Rukubi Community, Ikye Development Area, Doma Local Government Area, Nasarawa State.”
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After paying a fine of roughly 29 million naira for breaking the “anti-open grazing law of Benue State,” those who were killed travelled to Makurdi to reclaim the 1,250 cows that had been seized by the Benue Livestock Guards.
After paying, the pastoralists hired vehicles from Makurdi to transport their confiscated livestock back to Rukubi. It was during this time that an attack was carried out that killed 31 pastoralists, eight Hausa butchers from Benue who were accompanying the vehicles, and four other people who are currently being treated in Lafia Hospital.
The funeral for the deceased was held today in the Rukubi Community, and His Excellency, the Deputy Governor of Nasarawa State, the Commissioner of Police, the Emirs of Lafia and Doma, the Chairman of the Doma Local Government, and the State Chairman of MACBAN were all there.
“This is the third time that something similar has happened to us. It was evident from the most recent two events that the Air Force has been strafing livestock across the borders of Benue and Nasarawa States for the past year.
But in the most recent one, our Nasarawa State Branch claimed that it was unclear whether it was a bomb blast, a remote attack, or an airstrike.
According to MACBAN, the act is not only abhorrent but also qualifies as a war crime under the Geneva agreement, which forbids the wanton destruction of livestock.
“We want the authorities to not only look into this terror but also punish the perpetrators and make sure that similar instances won’t happen again,” he said.
According to the information we have, in order to put the lives and property of pastoralists in danger twice, the offenders had to be aware that the animals had been released from the custody of the Benue Livestock Guards.
We ponder how such cruel behaviour by a presumably disciplined and well-trained federal government unit can be so simply attributed to animals. For this careless and abhorrent act of savagery, MACBAN demands a full apology to the victims’ families and to all Nigerians.
In order to placate the Benue state government, the Federal Government must urgently look into this issue and halt the Air Force from pursuing and killing animals. As a matter of considerable concern, the families of the victims must also receive adequate recompense.
