By Adeola Badru Stakeholders in Oyo State have called for stronger collaboration among security agencies, traditional institutions, farmers, herders and local communities to tackle kidnapping and other security challenges across Nigeria. They also warned against the ethnic profiling of Fulani people over criminal activities committed by individuals, stressing the need to distinguish between law-abiding citizens and criminals. The stakeholders made the call at a high-level security meeting held in Oyo State on Wednesday following the abduction of teachers and students in Oriire Local Government Area.
The meeting brought together Fulani leaders, security agencies, farmers, traditional rulers and community representatives to deliberate on rising insecurity, kidnapping, farmer-herder conflicts and ways to strengthen peaceful coexistence between Fulani communities and their host communities. At the end of the meeting, participants resolved to work collectively towards sustaining peace, improving intelligence sharing and strengthening cooperation between communities and security agencies. Speaking at the event, Chairman of the Oyo State chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and convener of the meeting, Ibrahim Jiji, said the gathering was aimed at drawing attention to security concerns affecting Fulani communities while encouraging collective responsibility in maintaining peace.
Jiji acknowledged the efforts of the Oyo State Government in promoting peace and security but stressed that government alone could not guarantee safety without active participation from citizens. “We, the people, also have a responsibility to ensure peace,” he said. He expressed concern over the tendency to associate criminal activities with the entire Fulani community, noting that many innocent Fulani people had suffered discrimination because of the actions of individuals involved in crime.
According to him, criminality should be treated as an individual responsibility rather than an ethnic issue. If we have a Fulani who is a criminal, we will not hide him. Likewise, if there is a criminal among our host Yoruba communities, they should not hide him.
This is how to ensure peace,” he said. The National President of MACBAN, Alhaji Baba Othman Ngelzarma, who was represented by A.B.
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