(Fulani men. Photo Credit: Foundation Pour)
A Fulani man who was himself a kidnapping victim has spoken out against the blanket criminalization of his ethnic group, saying his experience in captivity offered him a unique perspective on the issue.
The man said that despite being Fulani, he has no involvement in criminal activity, pointing to his legitimate business as his livelihood and priority.
He described the gang that abducted him as six men he believed were not Nigerian Fulani at all, but individuals from Chad, allegedly operating under the instruction of a Hausa-speaking commander.
He claimed the same group later carried out another abduction in Abeokuta before disappearing.
He also noted a linguistic distinction the kidnappers spoke a different dialect of the Fulani language from what he was familiar with further distancing them, in his view, from Nigerian Fulani communities.
On the broader stereotyping of his people, he was emphatic. He acknowledged that tensions over cattle straying into farmland are a real issue, but drew a firm line between that and kidnapping, which he said is neither a Fulani tradition nor practice.
He stressed that the Fulani are not a monolithic group, with various communities spread across Nigeria that differ in culture and character.
He expressed deep frustration at the stigma his ethnic identity carries, saying that if there were another name his people could go by, they would consider adopting it.
He closed with a plea to Nigerians to resist the urge to hold entire communities responsible for the actions of individuals, arguing that fairness and justice require judging people as individuals rather than as representatives of a group.