Claim: A Facebook user, Peter Nyam, claims that three leaders of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) have been arrested for their involvement in the Kwara mass massacre.
Verdict: False. There is no evidence to support the claim that leaders of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association were arrested in connection with the Kaiama massacre.
Full Text
On February 3rd to 4th, 2026, in Woro and Nuku communities, Kaiama LGA, suspected extremists (possibly a Boko Haram faction led by Mallam Sadiku) killed at least 75 people, burned homes and shops, and abducted others, including the district head’s family.
The attack followed warnings of “preaching” visits, with violence linked to resistance against radical doctrine near Kainji National Park.
Following the killings, President Bola Tinubu ordered the deployment of an army battalion to the affected communities under a new military initiative called Operation Savannah Shield, aimed at preventing further terror threats. The Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq, condemned the attack as a massacre and blamed extremist groups for targeting villagers who refused to adopt radical beliefs.
The killings were widely condemned by international bodies. Amidst this, a Facebook user, Peter Nyam, Feb. 8, 2026, posted a claim (archived link here) that three leaders of the Fulani social cultural group, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, have been arrested for their involvement in the massacre in Kaiama LGA, Kwara State.
He wrote: “THOROUGH INVESTIGATION into the RECENT MASSACRE of SCORES of INNOCENT CITIZENS in KAIAMA LGA of KWARA State: 3 Leaders of FULANI SOCIO-CULTURAL Group, the MIYETTI ALLAH CATTLE BREEDERS Association (MACBAN), have been ARRESTED for alleged involvement in the Kwara KILLINGS.
The user claimed that the three of them were arrested alongside 60 others and were exposed for planning and sponsoring the massacre.
DUBAWA decided to fact-check the claim due to the issue’s sensitivity and its importance to national security.
Verification
DUBAWA conducted a keyword search of “Kwara + Kaiama killings 2026 + arrest” and found no report of such arrests in any Nigerian or international newspapers.
Since the incident, both the Kwara State Government and the Kwara State Police Command have regularly shared updates on their verified X accounts. DUBAWA reviewed these accounts here and here but found no information confirming such arrests.
A part of Peter Nyam’s Facebook post was traced to a similar post about the arrest of MACBAN leaders, Fulani leaders for the Kwara killings, in DailyPost Nigeria on Jan. 27, 2026.
We contacted the spokesperson of the Kwara State Police Command, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, by phone and text, but received no response as of the time of filing this report.
Conclusion
There is no evidence to support the claim that leaders of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association were arrested in connection with the Kaiama massacre. Peter Nyam’s Facebook post is therefore false.
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