AN unidentified Fulani man, who was previously abducted, has shared his experience in captivity, saying that criminal activities should not be used to stereotype all Fulani people.
Asked why he was not involved in kidnapping, despite being Fulani, the man, whose identity remained unknown, said he was focused on his business, adding: “I’m Fulani and I cannot kidnap people, because I have a business I’m running.”
He explained that the six-man gang that kidnapped him was not made up of Nigerian Fulani, but individuals he claimed were from Chad Republic, alleging that the kidnappers operated under the direction of a Hausa-speaking man and later carried out another abduction in Abeokuta, Ogun State, before disappearing.
According to him, many allegations against Fulani communities are unfair and damaging, noting: “Most of the Fulani here in Nigeria honestly don’t want problems.
“We may have issues with cattle straying into farms, but we don’t kidnap, because it’s not our profession.”
He explained that there are different Fulani groups across Nigeria and his kidnappers spoke a different variant of the Fulani language, disclosing that the kidnappers regularly communicated with their families while in captivity.
He lamented the stigma attached to his Fullani ethnic group, saying: “If there was another name we could be called apart from Fulani, we would have changed it.”
He urged Nigerians to avoid judging entire ethnic groups based on the actions of a few criminally-minded ones.
Published:
Related articles
Recent articles
