The Cross River State Government has revoked the livestock movement permit previously issued to the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN). The decision was formally announced on November 23, 2025, through an official circular issued by the Commissioner for Livestock, Aquaculture and Fisheries Development, Hon. Emmanuel Anom.
The revocation marks a major change in the State’s approach to livestock mobility, following weeks of rising public alarm over insecurity linked to cattle transit across rural communities. The decision signals the government’s intention to adopt stricter administrative measures to protect residents across border areas and prevent further escalation of security risks.
Already, the circular has distributed to security agencies, traditional institutions and local government authorities, underscoring the seriousness with which the State intends to enforce the directive. The previous permit had allowed the movement of cattle from Ebonyi State, through Cross River, onward to Cameroon, a route historically used by pastoralists for cross-border trade.
According to the circular, State authorities reviewed existing security developments and concluded that the permit was no longer compatible with current realities. The memo instructed all law enforcement agencies to immediately halt cattle movements along approved pathways and ensure that the cancellation is fully implemented.
The commissioner stated that the revocation “supersedes the previously issued permit” and directed security operatives to remain vigilant at border entry points, internal roads and rural transit paths. The state government’s position reflects rising concerns over reported incidents linked to cattle movements, particularly in forested communities where monitoring has become difficult.
Although the statement did not reference specific attacks or arrests, multiple farming communities across central and northern Cross River have raised complaints in recent months about suspicious transit activities. Some communities reported that criminal elements could be exploiting open cattle routes as cover to move weapons, stolen property or fugitives without detection.
Cross River shares several land border entry points with Cameroon. The terrain includes forests, river crossings and remote villages where law enforcement coverage is limited. These conditions have historically made the region vulnerable to:
Kidnapping, unauthorized migration, smuggling of goods and livestock
Cross-border banditry, and community clashes between farmers and herders.
Over the past few years, security analysts have noted that large-scale livestock movement along unmonitored routes increases operational risks for security agencies. Livestock convoys often travel through rural areas where communication infrastructure is weak and access is limited, reducing the state’s capacity to track movement and enforce checks.
The revocation of the permit is expected to allow authorities to reassess the security landscape and improve system-level oversight of rural transportation.
Before the cancellation, local leaders in Obubra, Ikom, Ogoja, Boki and other impacted regions had appealed to the state government to suspend the permit. Their concerns were based on several observations:
Reports of farmland destruction caused by roaming animals, increased risk of confrontations between farmers and herders, fear of infiltration by criminal groups, dependence on traditional security networks unable to cope with complex threats.
Agricultural communities expressed concerns that during cross-border cattle movement, criminals could hide within herding groups to avoid security checkpoints. The cancellation appears to be a direct response to these warnings and reflects increasing reliance on preventive strategies rather than post-incident reaction.
The permit, reportedly issued earlier in the year, came at a time when several Nigerian states were restricting or regulating herder movement due to national concerns over rural attacks, communal clashes and associated crimes. Advocacy groups questioned the timing of the decision, arguing that it could expose the state to heightened security vulnerabilities.
Issues raised by civil society actors included:
The unstable security situation in neighboring regions;
The potential for large-scale movement of cattle to strain peace in rural communities;
Limited law enforcement personnel along border corridors;
The risk of uncontrolled, undocumented movement across State lines
Although Miyetti Allah has consistently defended the rights of livestock traders to carry out lawful business activities, public debate around the organization’s involvement in national discussions on rural security made the permit politically sensitive.
By revoking the permit, the administration of Governor Bassey Otu has shifted toward a more preventive approach in rural security policy. This shift includes the expectation that police units, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps personnel and joint taskforce operatives increase checkpoints, vehicle screening and surveillance along routes leading into Cameroon.
Security units are also expected to:
Identify high-risk movement corridors;
Conduct random inspections;
Document livestock transit patterns;
Prevent unauthorized convoys from entering or leaving the State
Recommendations from community leaders and analysts include:
Deployment of rural patrol teams;
Modern surveillance tools for border monitoring;
Strengthening of farmer–herder dispute resolution frameworks;
Closer inter-state and inter-agency security coordination;
Clear documentation of livestock traders entering the State