Benue community leaders refute report on cattle rustling
Some leaders of a community in Benue State have refuted reports of being involved in the rustling of cattle belonging to the Fulani in the area. The community leaders, including Inspector John Ogeh (Village Head), Malam Danlami Danjuma (Madaki), Gabriel Adikwu (Community Leader) and Sani Ajeh Samuel (Community Leader), are all of Egwuma Community in […]
Some leaders of a community in Benue State have refuted reports of being involved in the rustling of cattle belonging to the Fulani in the area.
The community leaders, including Inspector John Ogeh (Village Head), Malam Danlami Danjuma (Madaki), Gabriel Adikwu (Community Leader) and Sani Ajeh Samuel (Community Leader), are all of Egwuma Community in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State.
The leaders had cited a publication by Daily Trust dated August 1, 2025, which quoted a source who claimed that suspected criminals from the community rustled 73 cows belonging to one Sale Abubakar, which they described as “unfortunate” misinformation intended to create sympathy for the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and to portray the community in a bad light.
In a letter by their lawyer, A. Onche Esq, dated August 5, 2025, the leaders insisted that they were not liable or culpable “to the allegations and claims as stated in your newspaper under reference, as they are false, defamatory of the community and malicious.”
“Our client informed us further that before the period stated in the publication i.e July 19, 2025 and July 21, 2025, sometimes in April/May 2025, the Fulani cattle found within the Egwuma community without anyone tending to them were kept safe and the leaders of the community contacted the Ardo at Loko, as well as the Chairman of Agatu Local Government Council with DPO and DSS i/c Agatu Local Government until the Fulani came and picked them up. You may wish to confirm this from those referred above,” the lawyer wrote.
“That it might interest you to know that the allegations and claim made by MACBAN as contained in the publication under reference is a ploy/plot by them to attack the community once again since they have been attacking the community and have killed more than 100 persons/members of Egwuma community using the excuse of the community members touching their cattle(s).
“It may further interest you to know that our clients were not and are not people who will attack cattle or rustle cattle as they have no such intention whatsoever to warrant the claims by the MACBAN as contained in your newspaper publication.”