Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, has cautioned Nigerians against attributing crimes committed by a few individuals to entire ethnic groups. He warned that such narratives threaten national unity and social cohesion.
In a strongly worded message on his X handle, Obi described the growing tendency to frame criminality along ethnic lines as both unjust and dangerous. He emphasized that no ethnic group should be judged by the actions of criminals who do not represent the values of their people.
Obi, who expressed understanding of the pain of being stereotyped based solely on ethnic identity rather than individual character, noted that many ordinary Fulani citizens currently face similar prejudice. They are often unfairly associated with criminal elements they neither support nor know.
The former Anambra State governor stressed that criminality should be treated as an individual act, not an ethnic characteristic. He insisted that terrorists, kidnappers, and other offenders must be identified and prosecuted for their crimes without extending blame to entire communities.
“A thief is a thief. A terrorist is a terrorist. A kidnapper is a kidnapper,” he stated. He added that criminals should be punished according to the law and not used as a basis for stigmatizing millions of innocent citizens.
Obi warned that ethnic stereotyping fuels division, hatred, and mistrust while creating opportunities for political actors to exploit societal fault lines for personal gain. He urged Nigerians to celebrate the country’s rich cultural diversity and focus on the positive contributions of its various ethnic nationalities instead of promoting narratives that deepen suspicion and hostility.
Northerners in South-West Decry Profiling
Meanwhile, some northerners residing in South-West states have decried what they described as increasing harassment, profiling, and discrimination amid heightened security concerns in parts of the region.
Sarkin Samari of Ile-Ife in Osun State and Chairman of the Arewa Development Support Group, Osun State chapter, Ahmad S. Salihu, while speaking with newsmen, said northerners in the South-West are facing growing challenges due to rising fears over insecurity. He noted that the recent abduction of students and teachers in Oyo State heightened tension across the region, leading to increased vigilance among residents but also resulting in the harassment of innocent people.
Similarly, a leader of the Fulani community in Ekiti State, Malam Zayyanu Muhammad, said Fulani and Hausa residents were facing increasing difficulties due to security concerns in parts of Kwara and neighboring states.
