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From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has condemned what it described as ethnic profiling and harassment of Hausa/Fulani residents in parts of the South-West.
The group warned that collective punishment and stereotyping of entire ethnic groups could further inflame tensions and undermine national unity.
A statement by its National Coordinator, Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, specifically faulted the reported two-hour ultimatum allegedly issued by Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, to Fulani residents in Igboho, Oyo State, following a recent kidnapping incident in the area.
The CNG is equally alarmed by reports and widely circulated videos allegedly showing operatives of the Ondo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun) profiling, publicly parading and threatening women identified as Hausa/Fulani residents of Ondo State who were engaged in lawful activities.
Part of the statement read: “The Coalition further condemns the alarming wave of insecurity across Nigeria, including kidnapping, terrorism, banditry, separatist violence, ritual killings, drug and human trafficking and other organised criminal activities that continue to threaten stability and tarnish Nigeria’s international reputation.
“We contend that just as it would be unjust to profile all Yoruba because of Yahoo-Yahoo; all Igbo because of drug trafficking or all people of the Niger Delta because of oil theft; it is equally unacceptable to stigmatise all Fulani or Hausa people because some criminals claim those identities.”
The CNG stressed that criminal responsibility is individual and not ethnic, insisting that security agencies should focus on identifying, arresting and prosecuting actual offenders rather than targeting innocent citizens based on their ethnic background.
The coalition said it supports lawful efforts by security agencies and communities to combat kidnapping, terrorism, banditry and other crimes, but warned against replacing intelligence-led security operations with ethnic profiling and collective punishment.
The statement added: “We categorically reject the dangerous practice of collective punishment and ethnic stereotyping. No Nigerian should become a suspect merely because of his or her ethnicity, appearance or place of origin.
“We find it completely unacceptable that innocent women conducting legitimate businesses in Ondo were publicly paraded or humiliated because they are Hausa or Fulani. Such actions are discriminatory and inconsistent with the freedom guaranteed in the Constitution.
“Nigeria belongs to every Nigerian. Every citizen has the right to live, work and conduct legitimate business in any part of the country without fear of harassment or ethnic persecution.
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“Likewise, issuing ultimatums to entire ethnic communities or collective responsibility to law-abiding Nigerians for the actions of a few criminals is reckless, irresponsible and capable of inflaming ethnic tensions. Criminal liability is personal not ethnic.
“The CNG, therefore, calls on Mr. Sunday Igboho and his ilk to channel their energies towards demanding accountability from security agencies and the criminal justice system, rather than directing threats or collective blame against innocent members of any ethnic community. The pursuit of justice must never be replaced with ethnic intimidation.
“The Fulani community, like every other ethnic group, consists overwhelmingly of law-abiding citizens engaged in legitimate occupations. Equally, criminals exist across all ethnic and religious backgrounds. Nigeria cannot defeat insecurity by replacing intelligence-led protection with ethnic blame games and collective punishment.
“The Coalition wishes to state in the clearest possible terms that we will never accept the criminalisation of an entire ethnic community because of the alleged crimes of a few individuals. This principle is neither negotiable nor selective.”
The coalition demanded that the Ondo State Government investigate the conduct of Amotekun personnel featured in the circulated videos and sanction any officers found culpable of misconduct.
It also called on the state government to publicly reaffirm the rights of all lawful residents regardless of ethnic origin.
The group urged security agencies in Igboho, Oyo State, to ensure the protection of all residents, including Fulani communities, while intensifying efforts to identify and prosecute those responsible for the reported kidnapping incident.
The coalition further appealed to the Federal Government of Nigeria to treat the growing trend of ethnic profiling as a serious threat to national cohesion and take urgent steps to address it.
It also called on political leaders, traditional rulers and public influencers across the country to exercise restraint in their public comments and avoid statements capable of assigning collective blame to entire ethnic groups.
Reaffirming its position, the CNG said it supports lawful, intelligence-driven and evidence-based policing as the most effective approach to combating insecurity but would continue to oppose any attempt to substitute due process with ethnic vendetta.
“Law-abiding Nigerians deserve to live, trade and pursue their livelihoods anywhere in the country without fear of being profiled, harassed, publicly humiliated or threatened with expulsion simply because of their identity,” the coalition stated.
