A Fulani socio-cultural organisation, the Concerned Fulani People of Nigeria, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde to intervene over comments attributed to Yoruba nation agitator Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho.
In a statement issued on Sunday by its Convener, Ibrahim Barkindo Chubado, the group expressed concern that recent remarks directed at Fulani communities in Oyo State could heighten tensions and undermine efforts to maintain peace.
The reaction followed reports that Igboho issued a two-hour ultimatum to Fulani leaders in connection with the alleged abduction of a woman and her children.
According to those reports, Igboho threatened to personally pursue individuals he believed were involved if the victims were not released and also indicated plans to enter a forest reserve allegedly linked to criminal activity. These claims were attributed to public reports and were not independently verified in the source material.
Responding to the development, the Fulani group argued that criminal acts should not be used to judge entire ethnic communities and cautioned against collective blame.
The organisation stated that while criminality exists across different communities, individuals responsible for offences should be identified and prosecuted based on evidence rather than ethnicity or religion.
“We are not saying there are no bad eggs among Fulani, Hausa or other Northern ethnic groups. However, criminals should be treated as criminals and not profiled based on ethnicity or religion,” the statement said.
The group also expressed concern over what it described as recurring narratives that associate Fulani communities with insecurity without sufficient proof, warning that such perceptions could deepen mistrust and trigger hostility.
It maintained that many Fulani residents across Nigeria are law-abiding citizens and should not face suspicion because of alleged actions by isolated individuals.
The organisation called on both federal and state authorities to encourage restraint and ensure that responses to insecurity remain within the framework of the law.
No response from Sunday Igboho, the Presidency or the Oyo State Government was included in the source material at the time of reporting.
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