Sunday Igboho: Fulani group warns against ethnic profiling

A Fulani socio-cultural organisation, the Concerned Fulani People of Nigeria, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, and governors across the South West to intervene and caution Yoruba nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, over remarks it described as inflammatory and capable of escalating ethnic tensions.

The group’s appeal follows reports that Igboho issued an ultimatum to Fulani leaders in Oyo State over the alleged abduction of a woman, her children, and a sibling by suspected kidnappers.

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It cited media reports in which Igboho allegedly threatened to confront those he believed were responsible if the victims were not released within the stipulated period.

The group said reports also quoted him as threatening to invade a forest reserve where he alleged the kidnappers were operating if the victims were not released.

Reacting in a statement issued on Sunday and signed by its convener, Ibrahim Barkindo Chubado, the Concerned Fulani People of Nigeria warned against profiling Fulani communities for crimes allegedly committed by individuals, saying such generalisations could undermine peace and security efforts.

The group reiterated that the Fulani ethnic group remains opposed to terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of criminality, stressing that criminal acts should not be attributed to an entire community.

According to the statement, Fulani people are law-abiding citizens and should not be collectively blamed for the actions of criminal elements operating in different parts of the country. 

It expressed concern over what it described as a recurring tendency to associate Fulani communities with criminal activities without sufficient evidence, warning that such narratives could fuel hostility and violence.

The organisation alleged that previous attacks on Fulani settlements in parts of Oyo State resulted in loss of lives, including those of pregnant women, destruction of property and the displacement of residents. 

It claimed that innocent Fulani herders and their families had been targeted during past crises and maintained that some allegations initially linked to Fulani communities were later found to involve individuals from other ethnic backgrounds.

The statement also referenced past incidents in the Ibarapa and Iganna areas of Oyo State, where it alleged Fulani residents suffered casualties during communal conflicts. 

It called for an impartial approach to addressing security challenges and urged authorities to rely on investigations and evidence rather than ethnic profiling.

While acknowledging that criminal elements exist across all ethnic groups, the organisation said such individuals should be identified and prosecuted as criminals rather than used to stigmatise entire communities.

It also described farmer-herder conflicts as largely economic disputes that should not be transformed into ethnic or religious confrontations, warning that inflammatory rhetoric could worsen insecurity and threaten national unity.

The group therefore urged President Tinubu, Governor Makinde and other South West governors to take proactive steps to de-escalate tensions and promote peaceful coexistence by calling Sunday Igboho to order. 

It also appealed to Nigerians to support security agencies in combating kidnapping, banditry and other crimes without resorting to ethnic or religious generalisations.