22/11/2025
Stop Demonizing the Fulani: Criminality Has No Tribe
One of the most disturbing trends in Nigeria today is the reckless habit of labeling the Fulani people as terrorists. This stereotype is not only false but also dangerous. It feeds ethnic hatred, fuels division, and distracts from the real issues behind Nigeria’s insecurity crisis.
The Fulani are an ethnic group—nothing more, nothing less. They are farmers, herders, traders, politicians, civil servants, and ordinary citizens, just like any other tribe in the federation. Yet some individuals, driven by political ambitions, religious motives, or personal agendas, deliberately mislead the public into thinking that Fulani equals terrorism.
But the facts tell a different story.
Violent crimes in Nigeria involve individuals from various ethnic backgrounds. The killing of a Major General in Plateau State involved Berom youths. IPOB operations under Nnamdi Kanu have resulted in killings across different regions, affecting Hausa, Fulani, Yoruba, and Igbo communities. The longstanding clashes between Tiv and Jukun have claimed countless lives. Even criminals like Bello Turji, though Fulani, have attacked Fulani themselves.
Criminality has never been tribal. IPOB members are Igbo but the entire Igbo nation is not labeled terrorists. Henry Okah engaged in terrorism but his tribe was never branded terrorist. Many Tiv, Berom, and other groups have had individuals involved in violence, yet no one calls their entire tribes terrorists.
Why then should the Fulani be singled out?
Investigations over the years have uncovered individuals from different tribes disguising themselves as “Fulani bandits.” This alone shows how the Fulani identity is being manipulated to justify hatred and misinformation.
Nigeria must understand this simple truth:
A terrorist is a terrorist not a tribe.
Labeling the Fulani as terrorists is insulting, discriminatory, and morally wrong. It destroys trust, promotes prejudice, and undermines any effort toward peace.
If Nigeria wants unity, justice must come before judgment. And that begins by separating crime from ethnicity.