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Kwara residents have opposed the alleged decision by Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser to President Bola Tinubu, to implement a controversial security measure in the state involving the deployment of Fulani herders, known as Bororos, armed with AK-47 rifles to fight banditry.
The plan, which was intended to curb escalating attacks in Kwara state, has triggered strong opposition from residents and local Fulani leaders, who argue that the strategy could worsen insecurity instead of solving it.
Security Meeting in Ilorin
Multiple sources told SaharaReporters that the Federal Government, in collaboration with security agencies, recently convened a high-level meeting in Ilorin to tackle the escalating cases of kidnappings, killings, and cattle rustling in Kwara communities.
At the meeting, however, several Fulani stakeholders strongly objected to the proposal of arming Bororos, migrant herders often linked with violence, warning that such a move would be a grave miscalculation.
Although National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu was not at the meeting, sources disclosed that the matter was raised before representatives of local Fulani leaders affiliated with Miyetti Allah, the herders’ union, as well as operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian police, who attended.
According to the sources, the Fulani leaders cautioned security authorities against ignoring the steady influx of herders migrating into Kwara from neighbouring states, many of whom allegedly conceal weapons within their cattle herds to evade detection by law enforcement.
“They are not just moving cattle,” one of the sources explained. “They are also conducting surveillance, mapping out villages, and preparing targets for attacks.”
Stakeholders Call for Restrictions
One of the key points raised at the meeting was a call to restrict cattle movement in certain parts of the state.
However, local Fulani leaders proposed that security agencies enforce a ban on cattle rearing in Kwara Central after 5 p.m., arguing that nighttime grazing often provides cover for armed groups to operate undetected.
“We don’t want Bororos in Kwara Central,” another source insisted, warning that introducing them would be tantamount to inviting trouble.
WATCH: Kwara Residents Protest, Accuse Tinubu’s NSA Ribadu, Governor AbdulRasaq Of Deploying Fulani Militia To Protect Them from Suspected Fulani Herders' Attacks pic.twitter.com/f3kZVzNMSm
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) October 2, 2025
Conflicting Position on former Seriki Fulani of Igangan In Oyo State
Sources told SaharaReporters that the proposal to deploy nomadic Fulani herders was met with strong opposition from stakeholders, including prominent Fulani leaders such as Alhaji Saliu Abdulkadri, the former Seriki Fulani of Igangan, Oyo State, who relocated to Kwara after a violent clash with Yoruba Nation agitator Chief Sunday Adeyemo (Sunday Igboho) four years ago.
Abdulkadri later confirmed the meeting to SaharaReporters but denied attending it.
Sources revealed that Abdulkadri, who left Igangan in January 2021 following heightened tensions between herders and locals that culminated in Igboho’s eviction order, recounted his experience to underscore the dangers.
He reportedly explained that while many Fulani communities in Oyo had maintained peaceful coexistence with locals, the migrant Fulani herders remained a volatile group, notorious for kidnappings and armed clashes.
“Abdulkadri said the Bororos are always moving from one region to another, carrying sophisticated weapons like AK-47 rifles. He said they are not settled, and their movement often brings conflict,” one of the sources said, noting that the Fulani leader added that in his experience, deploying migrant Fulani herders in crisis zones only emboldens criminal actors rather than deterring them.
“They noted that Bororos were previously deployed to Kwara South and armed with AK-47 rifles, yet the killings did not stop. They said that even after authorities ordered the closure of Kara Market in Ajase-Ipo to trace how the bandits infiltrated the market, posing as traders while carrying out surveillance to launch attacks, the violence continued.
“The stakeholders also directed security agencies not to allow grazing in Kwara Central after 5 p.m., warning that anyone found grazing beyond that time should be arrested. They added that they plan to embark on radio sensitization to inform residents that grazing after 5 p.m. would no longer be tolerated,” the source said.
However, when contacted by SaharaReporters, Alhaji Abdulkadri denied attending the meeting with security operatives but confirmed that Ribadu had deployed migrant herders affiliated with Miyetti Allah from outside the state into Kwara.
“We heard that Nuhu Ribadu brought in Miyetti Allah. I was not involved in the discussion because they have different types of leaders, including Seriki Fulani, in different jurisdictions,” he said.
“I was in Oyo State before, and since I returned to Ilorin, I have not been involved in such discussions. But I heard that Nuhu Ribadu deployed Miyetti Allah to Kwara. Meanwhile, my strength is not like before; I am becoming old, so there is little I can do.”
“Yes, I heard that they summoned the meeting, but I did not attend,” he added.
The concerns resonate strongly in Kwara South, where locals have endured repeated waves of kidnappings and violent attacks.
Residents say they are already traumatized by the activities of herders who infiltrate forests and farmlands, often abducting villagers for ransom. In their view, bringing in migrant Fulani herders under the guise of protection is a recipe for deepening the crisis.
Another stakeholder at the meeting stressed that the federal government’s approach risks alienating communities that have already lost confidence in security agencies.
“The people feel abandoned,” the source noted. “They cannot understand why the government would consider empowering the very groups linked to the violence that is destroying their lives.”
Another source told SaharaReporters that some Fulani herders in the state are also accused of enabling the insecurity, stating that Ribadu’s method will never work because the saboteurs are among those reportedly armed with AK-47 rifles.
Killing of Fulani Leaders
He explained that the former chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Kwara State Chapter, Alhaji Idris Abubakar Sakaina, and one Alhaji Dabe were traced to their residences and killed for allegedly collaborating with local vigilantes to fight bandits terrorising the state.
The source told SaharaReporters that Sakaina was murdered on March 8, 2025, by AK-47-wielding assailants in front of his Oke-Ose residence in Ilorin around 10:30 p.m. while waiting for one of his wives to open the gate.
Meanwhile, Dabe reportedly suffered the same fate a few days later when he was traced and killed at his residence in Olooro, near Kanbi town along the Ilorin-Jebba highway in Moro Local Government Area.
"In March, Sakaina, together with local vigilantes, successfully apprehended several suspected kidnappers in Babanla and its environs. The vigilantes recovered several weapons, including AK-47 rifles. However, a few days later, he was traced and killed,” one of the sources said.
"All these incidents were part of the discussions and deliberations, during which they objected to the deployment of Bororos to Kwara Central.”
On August 20, 2025, SaharaReporters reported that indigenous hunters in Ilere community, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, accused the state government of arming the Fulani herders’ group, Miyetti Allah, to “protect residents” despite allegations that herders were behind killings and kidnappings in the region.
The hunters, who said they had safeguarded their communities for decades, expressed anger at being neglected and sidelined while the government empowered “outsiders.” In a video obtained by SaharaReporters, hunters and youths revealed they had taken their concerns to the Ifelodun council secretariat, but chairman Femi Yusuf refused to meet them despite earlier assurances.
They questioned what Miyetti Allah could contribute to their security, alleging that herders were instead responsible for the killings. They called on the state government and Senator Lola Ashiru (Kwara South) to intervene, noting that residents of nearly 16 communities had already fled their ancestral homes after killings and threats of attack.
The hunters demanded the evacuation of Miyetti Allah from Kwara South and the urgent empowerment of local hunters with modern equipment, stressing that those familiar with the terrain are better suited to protect the area. They insisted that Kwara South is Yoruba land, not the North, and warned against relying on migrant herders for security.
Miyetti Allah Leaders Deny Allegations
However, when contacted by SaharaReporters, the National President of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Baba Usman-Ngelzarma, dismissed the claims, insisting that no such arrangement existed and that the association was not aware of any instance where Miyetti Allah members were armed to fight.
He said, "Well, first of all, that news must be corrected. We do not have any group that has been empowered or armed to fight. We are not a security agency. This is part of the propaganda campaign against our association and the Fulani stakeholders. It is far from the truth.
"There has never been such a thing, and we are not aware of any instance where the Miyetti Allah was armed to fight. It has never happened. As the president of Miyetti Allah, I have never heard of such. So, I am surprised at what you are telling me, that the office of the NSA is reportedly involved in arming Miyetti Allah to fight."
Baba explained that the Office of the National Security Adviser oversees all security agencies, including the military, air force, police, and other security assets, working in coordination to maintain peace in the country.
He said, "Does it need to involve Miyetti Allah or any other non-state actor to fight crime? No. It has the conventional security agencies at its disposal.
"As an enlightened person, one would be surprised by such misinformation going public. It is simply propaganda and stereotyping against personalities in the country. Nothing more. It is completely untrue.
"We are not a security agency, and we are not armed. We are a facilitator group working for peace in the country. We collaborate with conventional security agencies, where necessary with the military, police, and others, to complement their efforts. But we have no power to fight insecurity directly.”
"The Miyetti Allah has never been armed, and will never be. Our only option is to cooperate with the security agencies to ensure peace wherever there is a breakdown of law and order," Baba added.
SaharaReporters also reached out to Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, the second major Fulani herders’ association in Nigeria. Its National Secretary, Saleh Alhassan, likewise denied the allegation, stating that the group was not aware of any such deployment or of arms being distributed to its members.
"I'm not aware, I don't know the source of your information, but we don't carry arms, we don't bear arms, we don't have access to arms, and we don't condone or tolerate anybody bearing arms,” he said.
When asked if he was aware that the President’s Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, was accused of deploying some Miyetti Allah members armed with AK-47 rifles to Kwara State, especially Kwara South, he said: "That is not true. That can never be true, because I don't think Miyatti Allah, whether the one we lead or any other one, has the capabilities, the capacities and the training and what it requires to do that kind of assignment.
“Probably, you may need to verify from the office of the NSA, if they are willing to disclose to you, what security approaches they are taking there, particularly in Kwara South.”
He stressed that the crisis in Kwara goes beyond herders, pointing to a wider web of insecurity in the state.
According to him, criminal gangs have long plagued Kwara with bank raids and kidnappings of senior citizens, while jihadist groups such as Ansaru, displaced from parts of Nasarawa, are now operating between Kogi and Kwara.
He added that poor governance and widespread poverty, despite huge resources at the disposal of state governors, have further fuelled the instability.
"You expect confusion there. Of course. You understand? And then if somebody, a local government appropriates powers that belong to the people to itself, you are going to have a crisis," he said.
Commenting on the recent closure of Kara Market by local authorities, he warned that declaring specific ethnic groups or economic participants unwelcome only fuels lawlessness.
"You close cattle markets that serve as livelihoods to millions of people, irrespective of their ethnic background, without request to any dialogue, without request to any court. You see, all those are recipes for crisis. You understand? But people don't want to listen to the truth,” he said.
He criticised the use of extrajudicial executions and arbitrary actions by local authorities, stressing that such practices undermine peace and create confusion.
He argued that true stability can only be achieved by adhering to due process, arresting suspects, subjecting them to fair trials, and ensuring punishment is delivered through constitutional means. He added that this is why his group engages in open advocacy and media dialogue to push for lawful solutions.
"But we don't support violence. We don't support people taking retaliatory acts or carrying arms. We don't support it, but we have our limitations," Saleh added.
DSS Arrest of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore Leader
On January 23, 2024, SaharaReporters reported that Bello Bodejo, President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, was arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) at the union’s headquarters in Nasarawa State.
He was accused of illegally creating a vigilante group without security approval. DSS operatives, accompanied by Nigerian Army soldiers, stormed the office around 3:40 pm and took him into custody.
Allegations Against Kwara Governor
In a related development, a top official of a government agency in Kwara linked Governor AbdulRazaq AbdulRazaq to the arming of the migrant Fulani herders, saying he is directly involved.
He said, “In July, the Kwara State Governor bought guns for a group of Fulani youths. He gave them these guns to secure the entire communities in the state. Those guys are 90% Fulani people.
“And everybody is asking questions. Why would you empower Fulani people who are not originally from those communities to protect them? People cannot trust them. You don’t have a specific place for them to stay. They roam about the bush.
“Now we don’t know the difference between the Fulani, who are the attackers, and the ones empowered by the government to protect the people.
“People are now asking the governor, why didn’t he call these traditional rulers in these communities and call for their local vigilantes, then you empower them? Why would you just call some set of people who are total strangers to protect them?”
“And you know that Fulani people will not kill their own people,” the government source said.
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