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The Dahalo of Madagascar and Cattle Rustlers in the Lake Chad Basin, a Shared Threat Beyond Borders
The Dahalo of Madagascar and Cattle Rustlers in the Lake Chad Basin, a Shared Threat Beyond Borders
By: Zagazola Makama
In the heart of Africa and the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar, two seemingly distant threats share a dangerous commonality: the Dahalo and cattle rustlers. Though they exist in different geographical, cultural, and political contexts, both groups have metamorphosed from traditional raiders into well-armed, highly networked criminal enterprises with disturbing implications for regional security, economic stability, and global illicit trade.
Traditionally, the Dahalo of Madagascar were young men proving their bravery through cattle theft and culturally accepted rite of passage. But over the years, this practice evolved into a violent criminal operation, particularly in Madagascar’s southern “red zones.” Today, Dahalo fighters move in formations reminiscent of guerrilla units, carrying Kalashnikovs and MAS-36 rifles, burning villages, and executing raids with deadly precision.
A similar transformation has occurred across the Lake Chad Basin (LCB) and the broader Sahel. What was once a pastoralist ritual for dowry or status has devolved into rampant cattle rustling, marked by commercial motivations and military-grade violence. Armed groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP have co-opted cattle theft as a tool of economic warfare and insurgency financing, altering the dynamics of regional insecurity.
In both regions, the actors are heavily armed and exploit ungoverned spaces for strategic advantage. Madagascar’s Dahalo exploit remote territories with minimal government presence, particularly in the Great South, operating freely in zones that mirror guerrilla warfare conditions.
In the Sahel and Lake Chad region, cattle rustlers and terror groups capitalize on Nigeria’s marshlands of Lake Chad, and the mountainous border regions of Niger and Mali. Here, they evade security forces, engage in cross-border raids, and impose illegal taxes on livestock traders and herders.
A critical yet underreported dimension is the emergence of transnational livestock trafficking networks, often referred to as the “meat mafia.” In both Madagascar and West Africa, stolen cattle are laundered through intermediaries – including corrupt officials, market traders, transporters, and butchers blending seamlessly with legally acquired livestock in regional markets.
In Nigeria, Africa’s largest cattle market, rustled herds are sold openly. Sophisticated tactics like “cattle round-tripping” moving animals across porous borders to obscure their origins have are now common. In Burkina Faso, jihadist groups such as JNIM and Ansarul Islam have even developed “commercial partnerships” with these networks, earning millions in monthly revenues to sustain their insurgencies.
Madagascar mirrors this structure. Government reports have exposed collusion between national leaders, police officers, and judges in facilitating Dahalo operations. Special advisers have described entire “cattle mafias” laundering thousands of heads of zebu (a prized local breed), with links to export markets in China and Arab states.
Another chilling layer to this network is the leather trade. While concrete evidence linking fashion brands to leather sourced from stolen livestock remains elusive, the risk is real. In Nigeria alone, animal skin exports generate more than $800 million annually. With no comprehensive system to trace the origin of hides, it’s highly plausible that stolen cattle contribute to global leather supply chains.
The fashion industry, known for its opaque supply networks, often sources leather through tanneries in high-risk regions. This opens a channel for conflict leather to flow unnoticed into international markets. Inaction or failure to investigate supply origins could render global brands complicit – knowingly or not – in fueling banditry and terror finance.
The terror-crime nexus in the LCB and Sahel is undeniable. Groups like Boko Haram use cattle rustling not just to fund operations but to dominate rural economies. They impose taxes on herders, abduct livestock owners for ransom, and terrorize communities into submission. These tactics serve both economic and psychological warfare, entrenching their control and weakening state legitimacy.
While the Dahalo are less ideologically motivated, their methods mimic insurgent governance: hostage-taking, village destruction, and an ability to operate with impunity. Madagascar’s internal security challenges mirror the complexity of northern Nigeria and the tri-border Sahel.
What Next? Toward a Multisectoral Response
The threat posed by these groups transcends cattle rustling. It reflects broader failures in governance, law enforcement, and border security. Left unchecked, they undermine fragile economies, deepen food insecurity, and blur the lines between criminal enterprise and armed conflict.
Addressing this challenge demands a multisectoral strategy: Strengthen border surveillance and regional intelligence-sharing.Regulate and digitize livestock movement through traceable means (e.g., tagging, blockchain). Crack down on collusion within security forces and public institutions.
Enforce due diligence in the leather and meat industries to prevent laundering of stolen goods.
Provide pastoral communities with economic alternatives and local protection mechanisms.
Conclusion
From the red plains of Madagascar to the dry frontiers of the Sahel, a dark economy thrives on the backs of stolen cattle. Whether driven by profit, ritual, or insurgency, the actors involved share more than just tactics. they exploit the same gaps in governance, the same desperation of vulnerable communities, and the same blind spots in international oversight.
The world may view cattle rustling as a relic of the past, but in reality, it is a sophisticated and deadly enterprise one that demands urgent attention from African states, global industry, and international partners alike.
Zagazola Makama is a Counter Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad Region
The Dahalo of Madagascar and Cattle Rustlers in the Lake Chad Basin, a Shared Threat Beyond Borders
Three killed as hoodlums attack hunters, burn huts in Adamawa community
By: Zagazola Makama
Three persons have been killed after armed hoodlums launched attacks on hunters and residents in Song Local Government Area of Adamawa State, authorities confirmed on Friday.
Sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident began at about 3:20 p.m. when local hunters from Barkin Sajo, under the Miyetti Allah hunters association, pursued suspected cattle rustlers into the Mayo Suno forest.
According to the source, a gun duel ensued between the hunters and the hoodlums, resulting in the death of one of the hunters, identified as Buji Alhaji, 40.
He explained that the attackers later moved to Maigero village, where they set seven thatched huts in the local market ablaze before shooting and killing two residents: Alhaji Haruna and Iliya Dabba.
He said security operatives visited the scene and evacuated the bodies to the Cottage Hospital, Song.
The sources added that efforts were ongoing to track down the perpetrators, while the police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had been assigned to conduct a discreet investigation into the incident.
End
Welfare allegations against 90 amphibious battalion Commanding Officer proven inaccurate
By: Zagazola Makama
Contrary to recent media reports alleging mismanagement of soldiers’ allowances and welfare at the 90 Amphibious Battalion, Koko, a detailed review confirms that the Commanding Officer (CO), Lt. Colonel M.M. Garba, has maintained proper management of all entitlements and provided additional support to deployed personnel.
Investigations reveal that allegations of diversion of allowances, inadequate feeding, and extended duty rotations were unfounded. The battalion, which comprises 400 soldiers, with 300 deployed to oil facilities and 100 remaining at base, has witnessed an increase in allowances under the current Commanding Officer.
The RCA allowance, previously ₦30,000, was raised to ₦40,000 monthly and applied to all soldiers uniformly. Further clarification indicates that deployed soldiers receive a ₦150,000 monthly feeding allowance directly from the oil companies supporting operations, with funds transferred straight into the soldiers’ accounts,”two sources from the company confirmed.
However, SEPLAT, one of the partner companies, has reportedly not made payments since January 2025, contrary to claims that soldiers receive only ₦40,000, a sources from the company further confirmed.
In addition to standard entitlements, The Commanding Officer personally contributes approximately ₦7 million monthly for feeding across deployed locations and the base. This voluntary support aims to sustain morale and operational readiness, marking a significant improvement in welfare since his assumption of command in January 2025.
A preliminary assessment suggests the recent allegations may have been motivated by misinformation or deliberate attempts to undermine the CO’s credibility, create internal disaffection, or misrepresent welfare standards compared with other regions.
Some soldiers who spoke to Zagazola under conditions of anonymity said “Our Commanding Officer has never misappropriated soldiers’ allowances. Every soldier receives their full entitlements, and sometimes he provided more support voluntarily,”he said.
“Our CO na Good man i swear all this lies we day see for internet, we sef no believe am. Person just wan spoil him name. Oga tell them say make them call to asked soldiers. We dey enjoy for here woo. Nothing like that,”said one soldier who spoke in pigin english.
Soldiers at the battalion attest that the CO’s commitment has tangibly improved morale. “Since his arrival, welfare has never been better. We receive our allowances in full, and the feeding support keeps us going during deployments,” said another soldier, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Lt. Colonel Garba, leadership is measured not only in operational success but in the welfare and morale of his troops. His proactive stance demonstrates that even under challenging circumstances, committed leadership can bridge gaps in resources and ensure that soldiers’ rights are respected.
Welfare allegations against 90 amphibious battalion Commanding Officer proven inaccurate
NDLEA intercepts cocaine shipment from Brazil, detains ship, 20 Filipino crew members
By: Michael Mike
Barely six months after 10 Thai sailors and their ship were convicted and fined $4.3 million for bringing 32.9 kilogrammes cocaine into Nigeria, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have again intercepted another commodity laden vessel- MV Nord Bosporus marked 9760110 from the port of Santos in Brazil at the Apapa seaport in Lagos with no less than 20 kilogrammes of the Class A drug buried under its cargo.
A statement on Friday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi said the illicit drug consignment was discovered on board the vessel last Sunday by NDLEA officers who thereafter took the Master of the ship, Captain Quino Eugene Corpus and 19 other crew members who are all Filipinos into custody for investigation.
Babafemi said following the seizure and arrest of the crew members, the NDLEA filed an application for an order of court for the detention of the vessel and the 20 Filipinos on board for further investigation.
He disclosed that the motion ex-parte in suit number FHC/L/MISC/1306/25 was argued before Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court, Lagos, who on Thursday granted the application for an initial 14 days detention of the vessel, Capt. Corpus and 19 other Filipino crew members.
Babafemi said preliminary investigation revealed that this was the first time the vessel was coming to Nigeria and Africa as it’s been largely transporting coal between Colombia and Brazil while Captain Corpus has been barely three months with the ship.
He recalled that the agency had in a similar circumstance arrested 10 sailors who are nationals of Thailand on 13th October 2021 on board a vessel named MV Chayanee Naree for trafficking 32.9 kilogrammes of cocaine from Brazil into Nigeria through the Apapa seaport. Nine Nigerian suspects were also arrested along with the Thai crew members.
He said the 10 Thai sailors and the vessel were eventually convicted on Thursday 15th May 2025 by a Federal High Court in Lagos presided over by Justice Daniel Osiagor who also fined them $4.3 million.
In his reaction to the latest significant seizure of 20 kilogrammes cocaine on board MV Nord Bosporus, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd) commended the officers, men and women of the Apapa Strategic Command of the agency as well as the Directorate of Seaport Operations for their vigilance, diligence and professionalism.
Marwa said the cocaine seizure is not just an operational success but “a clear demonstration of our heightened capacity and unwavering resolve”, adding that “we will continue to tighten our grip on all entry and exit points, especially our seaports, which transnational criminal organisations have historically attempted to exploit.”
According to him, “Let this be an unambiguous message to every international drug cartel and every internal collaborator: Nigeria is not, and will never be, your space or your foothold. The NDLEA is operating with zero-tolerance, and we will not permit any illicit drug to pass through our borders, whether by air, land, or sea. You may scheme, you may attempt sophisticated concealment, but you will fail. Our intelligence network, collaboration with international partners, and the dedication of our officers are steps ahead of your nefarious activities.”
He reminded any Nigerian who chooses to collaborate with foreign syndicates in the illicit drug trade of the consequences their action.
He said: “You are not just committing a crime; you are betraying your nation’s future. The consequences of aiding and abetting drug trafficking will be severe and unrelenting. We are committed to using the full force of the law to dismantle your structures, seize your illicit assets, and secure your long-term incarceration.”
NDLEA intercepts cocaine shipment from Brazil, detains ship, 20 Filipino crew members
Three killed as hoodlums attack hunters, burn huts in Adamawa community
Welfare allegations against 90 amphibious battalion Commanding Officer proven inaccurate
NDLEA intercepts cocaine shipment from Brazil, detains ship, 20 Filipino crew members
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