Herders’ Group Condemns Igboho Pardon as ‘Tribal Justice,’ Accuses Him of Attacking Fulani

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria has strongly condemned the presidential pardon granted to Yoruba activist Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, describing it as a “grave miscarriage of justice.”

In a statement issued on Tuesday by its South-West Zone, MACBAN said the decision has reopened painful wounds for Fulani communities who accuse Igboho of leading violent attacks against herders and settlements in Oyo State between 2020 and 2021.

The group alleged that Igboho was directly responsible for killings, arson, cattle theft, and forced displacement of Fulani families, citing the January 2021 attack in Igangan as a traumatic example.

MACBAN also questioned the role of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja whom it noted employed Igboho as a personal bodyguard for years in facilitating the pardon.

The statement highlighted what it called a troubling double standard in Nigeria’s justice system, comparing Igboho’s pardon with the continued detention of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu.

“Does justice in Nigeria now depend on ethnicity?” the group asked, raising concerns about equality before the law uner the Tinubu administration.

MACBAN stressed that it is not seeking revenge but demanding justice, and outlined several conditions for restoring confidence, including:

· A formal government acknowledgment of the crimes against Fulani communities in Oyo State

· Compensation for affected families

· A public explanation for Igboho’s pardon

· Assurance that Nigeria does not operate a “tribal justice system”

The group warned that “peace cannot exist where injustice is rewarded,” and said the pardon undermines national unity and sends a dangerous message that some lives are treated as expendable.