The Kulen Allah Cattle Rearers Association of Nigeria (KACRAN) has condemned recent killings in the north and called on bandits and vigilante groups to stop the violence.
Khalil Moh’d Bello, KACRAN’s national president, made the appeal in a statement on Thursday.
He said the association is alarmed by the “shameful, brutal killings” of innocent Nigerians, the destruction of property and the rustling of livestock across the region.
According to him, pastoralists have become victims of extortion and coercion by criminal groups who demand illegal levies or force them to surrender their children to join armed gangs.
He said many herders are also exposed to attacks by volunteer fighters who fail to confront bandits in forest hideouts but instead “end their operations by killing innocent pastoralists”.
Bello added that security operations often result in unintended casualties among herders who are caught between bandits and state forces.
He said pastoralists are sometimes compelled to provide cover for criminal groups because they are not allowed safe access to grazing areas in the deep forest.
Bello warned that pastoral communities would be the most vulnerable if the country were to face an external threat, citing their experience during previous clashes with vigilante groups and security forces.
His words: “KACRAN, for whatsoever reason, rejects and condemns in unmistakable terms any act of killing innocent Nigerians.
“We call on bandits and volunteers to end their act, which is a heinous crime that has no cause or justification.”
He criticised the recent breaches of peace deals in Katsina, Kano and Zamfara, where bandits attacked communities that had previously reached reconciliation agreements with them.
Bello said some of the communities, particularly in Katsina, had honoured the terms of the peace accord, but “disgruntled elements” among the armed groups violated the agreement and launched attacks and abductions.
He said similar incidents occurred in Zamfara, where bandits allegedly reneged on agreements with farmers, killed residents and kidnapped others for ransom.
Bello urged government and community leaders to prioritise the protection of innocent pastoralists, whom he described as the most exposed in the cycle of rural violence.
