The Concerned Fulani People of Nigeria has urged international actors, particularly the United States, to desist from portraying the Fulani ethnic group as the singular source of insecurity in the country, warning that such narratives could worsen ethnic tensions and undermine national unity.
The group made the appeal in a statement issued on Thursday and signed by Ibrahim Barkindo Chubado, in response to what it described as “contradictions” in United States security-related assessments and commentary on Nigeria, especially reports linking Fulani communities to banditry and violence.
It questioned what it called a shifting posture in U.S. reporting on Nigeria’s insecurity, particularly narratives that have, at various times, drawn attention to Fulani herders in discussions on armed violence.
The group argued that earlier assessments had cautioned against broad ethnic generalisations, warning that such framing could fuel communal mistrust and conflict.
According to the statement, such narratives gained prominence during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, when insecurity debates were frequently linked to Fulani identity or religion.
It said the effect of such framing had been felt in several parts of the country, where innocent Fulani communities were allegedly subjected to attacks, displacement, and loss of livelihoods.
“The group said such framing contributed to hostility against innocent Fulani communities in parts of southern and north-central Nigeria, leading to attacks on settlements, destruction of property and loss of livestock,” the statement noted.
The group insisted that conflicts often described as herder–farmer clashes had been oversimplified in public discourse, arguing that the underlying causes were more complex and rooted in land use, environmental pressures, grazing access, and local political disputes.
It cited recurring crises in states such as Benue, Plateau, and Taraba, maintaining that many Fulani families in these regions are long-term residents and should not be treated as outsiders.
The statement further argued that several security analyses have previously classified such conflicts as largely economic and environmental rather than ethnic or religious.
It recommended structural reforms, including ranching systems, land-use policy adjustments, and stronger law enforcement mechanisms to address the root causes of rural violence.
The group also referenced past violent incidents in Ekiti, Ondo, and Edo States, noting that initial public attribution of blame to Fulani groups in some cases was later disputed by security authorities.
On the 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, the group said early assumptions wrongly linked the incident to Fulani herders, adding that Defence Headquarters later associated the attack with criminal elements tied to an Ebira subgroup.
Despite this clarification, it alleged that Fulani residents in parts of Ondo State still faced profiling and arrests in the aftermath of the incident.
The group also expressed concern over reports attributed to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, which allegedly suggested that about 30,000 armed Fulani militants were responsible for insecurity in Nigeria.
It described the figure as “unfair stereotyping,” warning that such claims could deepen ethnic divisions and distort the complexity of Nigeria’s security challenges.
The statement stressed that banditry, terrorism, separatist violence, kidnapping, and communal clashes cannot be attributed to any single ethnic or religious group.
It called for balanced reporting, evidence-based analysis, and greater caution in international commentary on Nigeria’s security situation.
“Nigeria’s future cannot be built on ethnic scapegoating, mutual suspicion or divisive narratives,” the statement concluded.
