The series of targeted assassinations in Kwara State has escalated with the killing of another member of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN).
The victim, identified as Dabe, was gunned down by unidentified assailants on Tuesday night in Kanbi town along the Ilorin-Jebba highway in Moro Local Government Area.
This latest attack follows the murder of the association’s chairman, Idris Abubakar, who was shot dead outside his home in Oke-Ose, Oke-Oyi town, Ilorin East, on Saturday night.
The spate of killings has created fear among Fulani herders in the state, with many suspecting they are being systematically targeted for their role in supporting security forces against criminal activities within the cattle-breeding community.
Dabe, who also served as a vigilante, was reportedly ambushed and shot around 10 PM in what appeared to be a carefully planned attack.
His assassination marks the fifth killing of MACBAN members within two weeks, with all the victims believed to have been targeted for opposing criminal elements masquerading as herdsmen.
Mallam Abdulazeez Mohammed, the Secretary of MACBAN in Kwara, condemned the killings, describing them as a coordinated effort to silence Fulani leaders committed to tackling crime within their ranks.
According to him, Abubakar had been under surveillance for months and had received multiple death threats before his eventual assassination.
“These criminals warned him repeatedly to stop working with security agencies, but he refused to back down. He wanted to clear our name and paid with his life,” Abdulazeez said.
Sources within MACBAN suggest that the association’s leadership is being singled out for their efforts against cattle rustling, kidnapping, and banditry, which have long troubled the region.
Meanwhile, efforts to obtain a response from the Kwara State Police Command have been unsuccessful, as the command’s spokesperson, DSP Ejire-Adeyemi Toun, has yet to respond to inquiries.
