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MACBAN Condemns Sunday Igboho’s Pardon, Calls It ‘Tribal Justice’
MACBAN has rejected the presidential pardon granted to Sunday Igboho, describing it as tribal justice and a miscarriage of justice against Fulani communities in Oyo State.
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has strongly condemned the presidential pardon granted to Yoruba self-determination activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, describing it as an act of “tribal justice” and a grave miscarriage of justice.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by its South-West Zone, MACBAN said the pardon has reopened painful memories for Fulani communities in Oyo State, who allegedly suffered violent attacks between 2020 and 2021.
The statement, signed by the South-West Coordinator of MACBAN, Alhaji Mumini Muhammad, said the decision has been received with “deep anger, pain, and total rejection” by Fulani herders and pastoralists across the region.
According to the association, Sunday Igboho was directly linked to a series of attacks on Fulani settlements in Oyo State and neighbouring areas, resulting in killings, arson, destruction of homes, cattle theft, and the forced displacement of families who had lived peacefully in the area for decades.
“These acts did not occur in secrecy,” the statement said. “They were carried out openly and publicly, and many of our members witnessed them personally. Evidence of these crimes exists.”
MACBAN identified the January 22, 2021 attack in Igangan, Ibarapa North Local Government Area, as one of the most traumatic incidents, noting that Fulani lives were lost, homes were razed, and entire families were permanently displaced. The group also cited similar alleged attacks in Iseyin and along major routes across Oyo State.
“These were not rumours or misunderstandings,” MACBAN insisted. “They were deliberate acts of violence.”
The herders’ group further questioned the role of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, accusing him of facilitating and championing the pardon process. MACBAN noted that Sunday Igboho reportedly served as Oba Ladoja’s personal bodyguard for decades, a relationship it said raises serious moral and ethical concerns.
“Was Oba Rashidi Ladoja not present in Oyo State when these atrocities were committed?” the association asked. “Why was there no official condemnation, investigation, or compensation for Fulani victims at the time?”
MACBAN also criticised what it described as unequal application of justice, comparing Igboho’s pardon with the continued detention and prosecution of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
“Nnamdi Kanu was arrested, prosecuted, and imprisoned for actions deemed threats to national security,” the statement said. “Yet a man accused of violent attacks, killings, and displacement is granted a presidential pardon.”
The association said the disparity raises serious questions about equality before the law and whether justice in Nigeria is influenced by ethnicity.
Describing the pardon as a “slap in the face” of Fulani victims, including widows, orphans, and displaced families, MACBAN warned that the decision undermines public trust, weakens national unity, and fuels ethnic resentment.
“The Fulani community is not asking for revenge,” the statement stressed. “We are demanding justice.”
MACBAN called on the Federal Government to formally acknowledge the alleged crimes committed against Fulani communities in Oyo State, compensate affected families, publicly explain the basis for Igboho’s pardon, and give clear assurances that Nigeria does not operate a tribal justice system.
“Peace cannot exist where injustice is rewarded,” the group said, adding that national unity cannot survive when victims are ignored and perpetrators are celebrated.
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