The controversial cattle movement permit earlier granted to the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), by the Cross River State government has been revoked, citing rising security concerns and the need to safeguard communities across the state.
The withdrawal of the permit marks a major policy reversal by the administration of Governor Bassey Otu, coming amid heightened public anxiety over insecurity linked to the movement of livestock through rural communities.
The revocation was formally announced in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Livestock, Aquaculture and Fisheries Development, Emmanuel Anom, and made available to newsmen in Calabar
The statement was addressed to security agencies, local government authorities, and the general public, indicating the seriousness with which the state government intends to enforce the directive.
The now-cancelled permit had authorised the movement of cattle from neighbouring Ebonyi State, through Cross River State, and onward to Cameroon, a route traditionally used by pastoralists but one that has increasingly become a flashpoint for conflicts
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Communities along these corridors have in the past raised complaints about farmland destruction, clashes with herders, and fears that criminal elements may disguise themselves within the herder population.
In the statement, Anom made it clear that the government was acting decisively in response to emerging threats.
“The commissioner, on behalf of the Cross River State government, hereby announces the cancellation of the movement permit earlier issued to the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders for the movement of their cattle from Ebonyi State, across Cross River State, to Cameroon,” the statement further said.
Anom, in the statement, added that the revocation “supersedes the previously issued permit,” and directed all security agencies to ensure strict compliance and be vigilant to prevent any such movement through Cross River State.
He maintained that “growing insecurity triggers government response,” and although the statement did not mention specific incidents, multiple communities in Cross River, especially in the central and northern parts of the state, have recently raised alarms over suspected criminal infiltration along cattle routes.
These concerns have been part of a broader national debate on farmer–herder conflicts, banditry, and cross-border criminal operations.
