Ya’u Idris, who serves as the chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Bassa Local Government Area, has raised concerns about the security threats faced by pastoralists within his community. Speaking in a video interview shared by Trust TV, Idris described the challenges herders encounter while attempting to graze their livestock in the area.
According to him, herders often face serious risks whenever they move their cattle out to feed in surrounding fields. He explained that many of them fail to return safely after taking their animals to graze. In several instances, he said, either the herder loses his life or the cattle are attacked and killed by gunfire.
Idris recounted a particularly tragic episode that occurred in the village, noting that six herders were brutally killed during the incident. He stated that the attackers not only took the lives of the victims but also mutilated their bodies by severing their heads and hands. The disturbing nature of the attack, he said, has left a lasting impact on the community.
He emphasized that repeated acts of violence against herders have created a climate of fear among members of the pastoral community. As a result, many cattle owners and herders are now reluctant to take their livestock out for grazing, worried that they could become the next victims of such attacks.
While expressing his concerns, Idris said that the situation has become deeply troubling for residents who depend on cattle rearing for their livelihood. He stressed that the continuous loss of lives and livestock has disrupted the normal activities of herders in the area and heightened tensions within the community.
In his words, he lamented that members of the pastoralist community have been targeted repeatedly, recalling the incident in which six herders were killed and their bodies mutilated. He said the memory of that event still weighs heavily on the people of the village.
The interview discussing these incidents appears in a Trust TV video segment between the 18:30 and 18:35 mark. The report highlights ongoing security concerns affecting herders and their cattle in the Bassa area. See More
You can watch the video from 18:30 to 18:35