The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria has formally requested that the United States Congress withdraw its recent recommendation for targeted sanctions, which followed lawmakers linking the group to alleged violations of religious freedom in Nigeria.

In a resolution introduced on November 4, House Representative Christopher Smith had proposed imposing visa bans and asset freezes on members of MACBAN and the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore.

The resolution also recommended placing “Fulani-Ethnic Militias” operating specifically in Benue and Plateau States on the Entities of Particular Concern (EPC) list, as defined under the International Religious Freedom Act.
At a press conference held in Abuja on Sunday, MACBAN President Baba Othman Ngelzarma confirmed that the association had written to the US Congress through the American Embassy, urgently requesting that lawmakers remove its name from the proposed list.

Ngelzarma stated, “We reject the misleading and incomplete assertions contained in the resolution.” He strongly affirmed the group’s legal status, declaring, “MACBAN is a lawful socio-cultural and economic association registered by the Federal Government since 1986. We are not a militia, we are not a violent organisation.”

He emphasized that the US resolution mistakenly conflates criminal gangs, which operate independently, with law-abiding pastoralists who, he argues, are themselves victims of Nigeria’s escalating and deteriorating security situation.

MACBAN presented comprehensive figures documenting the casualties suffered by herding communities over a decade, noting that between 2015 and 2025, 18,600 pastoralists were killed, 1.29 million were displaced, 87,543 houses were destroyed, over one million cattle were rustled or slaughtered, and multiple MACBAN state executives were assassinated for aiding security agencies.

Ngelzarma used these figures to counter the accusations, asserting, “These figures show a community under attack, not one perpetrating violence.”

He also highlighted MACBAN’s concrete efforts in societal peacebuilding through collaborative engagements with security agencies, which include the Armed Forces, Nigeria Police Force, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, alongside traditional rulers and international partners such as USAID, Mercy Corps, Search for Common Ground, and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue.

The US Congress is currently scheduled to hold a hearing on Thursday regarding President Donald Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern.