Sultan warns against profiling Fulani as terrorists

The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, has warned against ethnic profiling of Fulani people, saying those involved in kidnapping, banditry and terrorism should be identified and treated as criminals, regardless of their ethnic background.

Mr Abubakar spoke on Thursday at the opening of the 2026 National Conference of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, in Abuja.

The Sultan urged Nigerians to stop using the phrase “Fulani herdsmen” when referring to kidnappers, terrorists and other criminal elements, insisting that criminal responsibility should not be attached to an entire ethnic group.

“Call them criminals who are abducting people, engaging in kidnapping, terrorism and whatever. In every family, you have bad people and you have good people. I happen to belong to the family of good people,” he said.

The monarch said millions of peaceful and law-abiding Fulani people should not be judged or profiled because of the actions of a few criminal elements.

“I want to assure all Nigerians that we mean well for everybody in Nigeria. We mean no harm to anybody,” the Sultan said.

He assured President Bola Tinubu and other stakeholders that Fulani communities were ready to work with government authorities and security agencies to identify and flush out criminals from their settlements.

“We assure the President and all other stakeholders that we are 100 per cent ready to work with him and other security agencies to flush out criminals from our enclaves,” he said.

The Sultan also commended President Tinubu for establishing the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, describing the ministry as a landmark intervention capable of transforming the livestock sector and addressing longstanding challenges affecting pastoral communities.

Earlier, the National President of MACBAN, Baba Othman Ngelzarma, reiterated the association’s condemnation of terrorism, kidnapping, banditry, cattle rustling and other forms of violent crime.

Mr Ngelzarma said no ethnic group or profession should be judged by the actions of a few criminal elements, stressing that insecurity remained one of the greatest challenges confronting pastoralists and farming communities across the country.

He said criminal attacks had claimed lives, displaced families and destroyed livelihoods in several communities.

“Criminals must never be identified with any ethnic group, religion or occupation. Those who violate the law must be dealt with according to the law, while peaceful and law-abiding citizens must be protected without discrimination,” he said.

Mr Ngelzarma said MACBAN would continue to encourage its members to cooperate with security agencies by providing credible intelligence and rejecting criminality in all its forms.