The Herd debuted on Netflix on November 21, 2025, arriving at a moment of heightened national anxiety. Kidnapping for ransom has surged across parts of Nigeria in recent years, especially in the North-West and North-Central regions, where communities have endured mass abductions, school raids and deadly highway attacks.
In many ways, Daniel Etim-Effiong’s thriller appears to forecast Nigeria’s recent dilemma.
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Directed by Mr Etim-Effiong, who also plays the ill-fated best man, Gosi, The Herd follows the cross-country travels of newlyweds Derin and Fola before their jubilant escape collapses into a violent highway ambush.
What unfolds is a chilling portrait of captivity: ransom negotiations, psychological terror, failed rescue attempts and scenes that mirror what victims in Zamfara, Kaduna, Niger and parts of Kwara have endured in real life. For many viewers, the film’s realism is both its strength and its provocation.
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Yet, amid the glare of Nollywood’s established names, it is three relative newcomers from Kannywood, Ibrahim Abubakar, Amal Umar and Abba Ali Zaky, whose performances have ignited national conversations. In a film laden with dread, they are the pulse that keeps the narrative on edge.
The unsung heroes
At the heart of ‘The Herd’ is a trio from Kannywood whose performances cannot go unnoticed in the movie. Their characterisation has spurred conversations around the movie.
Ibrahim Abubakar
plays Yakubu, the most brutal and unpredictable of the bandits. He brought to life a performance that is both disturbing and unforgettable. Hot-tempered, sharp-tongued and always on the edge, Yakubu is the kind of character who makes viewers tense up the moment he steps on screen.
Mr Abubakar plays the role with a raw, intense energy that many critics have called “alarmingly believable.” His violent scenes, especially those involving coercion, have sparked significant conversations online.
For many Nigerians who understand the realities of bandit attacks and kidnapping, Yakubu feels frighteningly real. However, film critics argue that Abubakar’s performance is more than just shock value; it signals the rise of Northern actors bringing depth and professional discipline to the mainstream Nollywood.
A closer examination of his background reveals why the role suits him so well. Abubakar, a Fulani from Gombe, says that understanding the culture helped him deliver the character with precision. He is also a musician, performing under the stage name Mafati Pulanis or M. Pulanis.
The Herd is not his first screen appearance. He has featured in several films, including A Place in the Stars (2014) and Gwaska (2015), among others. Beyond acting, Abubakar is also a journalist and hosts talk shows in both Hausa and Fulani.
Abba Ali Zaky
He plays Halil, the cool-headed leader of the kidnappers. If Yakubu is the gang’s hot temper, Halil is the brain behind every move. Zaky’s calm, calculating style stands in sharp contrast to Yakubu’s wild aggression, and that quiet control gives his character a chilling edge.
Well known in Kannywood, Zaky brings a steady, icy intelligence to the role, much like the real-life masterminds who often coordinate bandit operations. Critics have praised his performance as “eerily grounded” and “a masterclass in restrained villainy.” Since the film’s release, clips of his scenes have gone viral on TikTok and X, drawing new fans to his older projects.
Born in Kano, Zaky studied Islamic Studies at Gombe State University and is also a musician.
He made his Nollywood debut in Voiceless (2017) and has since appeared in Akwati, Jaru Road, The Herd, Hussain (short film), Blood of Enogie (series), and other notable projects.
Amal Umar
Amal Umar also steps far outside her usual romantic and family-friendly roles to play Habiba, Halil’s cold and strategic partner. Her character offers a rare glimpse into the women who sometimes play key roles in criminal groups, a phenomenon also highlighted in security reports from Zamfara and Katsina.
With her sharp stares and clipped, controlled speech, Umar delivers one of the film’s most surprising performances. For many viewers, The Herd marks her breakout moment on the national stage and has sparked calls for her to take on more challenging, emotionally intense roles.
Aside from being a popular face in Kannywood, the Katsina State-born actress is also a model. Ms Umar has also featured in titles like Kawayen Amarya (2018), Hafeez (2019), and Sarki Goma Zamani Goma (2021).
A Film That Struck a Nerve—and Sparked a Firestorm
Despite its acclaim, The Herd has been engulfed in controversy. In the North, online debates erupted shortly after the trailer was released. Many commentators accused the filmmakers of reinforcing stereotypes that unfairly portray Fulani herders and Hausa communities as criminals.
Former presidential aide Bashir Ahmad, among others, criticised the film for “flattening a complex crisis into a single story,” noting that the vast majority of herders are themselves victims, not perpetrators. Security experts have echoed these concerns, warning that one-dimensional portrayals risk deepening social divisions.
The uproar revived long-standing tensions around representation in Nollywood—a conversation dating back to earlier works accused of cultural erasure or regional insensitivity.
Yet the film’s defenders argue that The Herd reflects an ongoing national tragedy. They cite documented attacks on highways, such as Abuja–Kaduna, Birnin Gwari, and Sagamu–Ijebu-Ode, insisting that cinema has a duty to confront painful realities, not sanitise them.
Meanwhile, the actors at the centre of the storm have continued to gain admirers. Mr Abubakar’s promotion clips on Instagram have drawn millions of views; Ms Umar’s Threads posts about role preparation have sparked thoughtful discussions; and Mr Zaky’s measured interviews have earned him a reputation as one of the year’s most disciplined breakout performers.
A Bridge
By giving Kannywood actors a significant platform, the film helps bridge the long-standing gap between Nigeria’s northern film industry and Nollywood.
The trio has shown the importance of resonating with identity through roles; this is not to promote typecasting, but to emphasise authenticity in the interpretation of roles. Together, these three actors help capture the harsh psychological and emotional landscape of Nigeria’s ongoing kidnapping crisis, delivering performances that are not just convincing but also deeply human and unsettling, making the film a gripping, must-watch thriller.
In an industry often criticised for typecasting, Abubakar, Umar, and Zaky prove that fresh voices from the margins can redefine the centre.
As Nigerians continue to debate its message, one thing is sure: The Herd will be discussed and revisited for years to come. And at the heart of this lasting impact are these three actors, once little-known outside Kannywood, who have now become the defining faces of a story that prompts the country to confront itself anew.
Critics
If their performances are the film’s triumph, they’re also its tinderbox. The Herd has polarised audiences, amassing millions of streams while igniting calls to “ban Netflix” across Northern Nigerian social media users.
At the epicentre: accusations of stereotyping and profiling Fulani herders, and by extension, Hausa and Muslim communities, as inherent criminals. The trailer’s highway ambush, where cattle herders morph into gun-toting kidnappers, has been decried as “facile and dangerously inaccurate,” reinforcing harmful tropes that paint innocents as villains.
Influential voices like former presidential aide Bashir Ahmad have amplified the backlash, arguing that while banditry is undeniable, the film ignores its complexity: “The overwhelming majority of Fulani herders are innocent and among the primary victims.” Echoing this, Arewa commentator Arewa Ustaz warned that such portrayals “create stigma that fuels discrimination,” urging producers to consult stakeholders for a fuller picture.
On X, the debate rages from users decrying the movie as “trauma packaged as entertainment” to others defending it as a vital reflection of highway horrors they’ve survived firsthand.
Yet, for every critic, there’s a defender hailing the film’s unflinching gaze, capturing the catharsis for survivors who’ve endured similar abductions.
Even amid the uproar, the actors’ work continues to garner praise.
