Tragedy has struck the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) as gunmen assassinated its chairman in the Barkin Ladi area of Plateau State, further stoking concerns over the rising wave of targeted attacks on Fulani leaders.
The slain chairman, Muhammad Adamu, was reportedly gunned down at his residence by unidentified assailants, sending shockwaves through the community.
Confirming the incident, the Plateau State Chairman of MACBAN, Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, condemned the attack and urged security agencies to swiftly investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice.
“The gunmen attacked him at home, shooting him multiple times before fleeing the scene,” Babayo said. “His body bore several bullet wounds, a clear indication that it was an execution.”
Adamu’s remains have been deposited at the Barkin Ladi General Hospital, with his burial scheduled for Thursday.
The assassination of Muhammad Adamu is not an isolated incident. Just recently, in a strikingly similar attack, the MACBAN chairman in Kwara State, Alhaji Idris Abubakar, was also murdered in cold blood.
Abubakar’s death raised alarms within MACBAN, with the association decrying what it described as a systematic extermination of its leaders. The Kwara State Secretary of MACBAN, Mallam Abdulazeez Mohammed, insisted that these killings were deliberate, particularly targeting leaders vocal against criminality within the Fulani herding communities.
“Our chairman was assassinated because he stood firmly against kidnapping and criminal activities in Kwara. He had been marked for elimination for over five months before his killers finally ambushed him,” Abdulazeez stated.
He revealed that Abubakar had received multiple death threats from criminal elements who warned him to stop interfering in their operations or face dire consequences.
“Idris Abubakar was a fearless warrior. He confronted kidnappers and criminals, warning them to stop their activities or face justice. That made him a prime target,” he added.
MACBAN disclosed that Abubakar was killed shortly after breaking his Ramadan fast and attending prayers with a prominent politician, Yahaya Seriki, before returning home.
The association further revealed that Abubakar was the fourth Fulani leader to be assassinated in Kwara State in recent times, fueling suspicions that an orchestrated campaign is underway to silence prominent voices within the community.
“These Fulani leaders were vocal against crime. They consistently condemned criminal elements in meetings and gatherings. Now, they are being hunted down one by one,” Abdulazeez lamented.
With these recurring assassinations, fears are mounting over the safety of MACBAN leaders across Nigeria. The urgent question now is: Who is behind these coordinated attacks, and will security forces rise to the occasion before more lives are lost?
PIONEER NEWS 