The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), has condemned the alleged ethnic profiling and harassment of Hausa/Fulani residents in parts of the South-West by operatives of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, popularly known as Amotekun.
The group 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.
In a statement issued by its National Coordinator, Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, the coalition also expressed concern over 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 engaged in lawful activities in Ondo State.
Charanchi warning that collective punishment and stereotyping of entire ethnic groups could further inflame tensions and undermine national unity.
The coalition further condemned the worsening security situation across the country, including kidnapping, terrorism, banditry, separatist violence, ritual killings, drug and human trafficking, and other organised criminal activities that continue to threaten national stability and damage Nigeria’s international image.
According to the group, every region of the country has experienced different forms of criminality over the years and no ethnic group should be blamed for the actions of criminal elements.
Charanchi said: “The North struggles with terrorism, banditry and kidnapping; the South-East faces kidnapping, violent criminal gangs and separatist-related terrorism; the South-West grapples with cybercrime, armed robbery, romance scams and cultism, while the Niger Delta contends with oil theft, piracy and illegal refining. These security challenges are products of criminal enterprises, not the identities of entire ethnic groups.”
The coalition argued that just as it would be wrong to profile all Yoruba people because of internet fraud, all Igbo because of drug trafficking or criminal gangs, or all Niger Delta residents 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.
While reaffirming support for lawful efforts by security agencies and communities to combat kidnapping, terrorism, banditry and other crimes, the coalition warned against replacing intelligence-led security operations with ethnic profiling and collective punishment.
The coalition called on Sunday Igboho and other agitators to direct their energies toward demanding accountability from security agencies and the criminal justice system rather than threatening innocent members of any ethnic community.
Charanchi 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 freedoms guaranteed by 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.
“Likewise, issuing ultimatums to entire ethnic communities or assigning 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 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 security measures with ethnic blame games and collective punishment.
“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 impose appropriate sanctions on any officers found culpable of misconduct.
It also urged the state government to publicly reaffirm the rights of all lawful residents irrespective of ethnic origin.
The group further called on 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 appealed to the Federal Government to treat the growing trend of ethnic profiling as a serious threat to national cohesion and take urgent steps to address it.
It also urged political leaders, traditional rulers and public commentators across the country to exercise restraint in their public statements and avoid assigning collective guilt to entire ethnic communities.
Reaffirming its position, the CNG said it supports lawful, intelligence-driven and evidence-based policing as the most effective approach to tackling 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.