Bauchi State governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, has said while he has tried his best to shield the entirety of the Fulani ethnicity from being profiled as criminals, he said however, that they would have to prove to Nigerians that they are actually as good as they claim to be. This, he said would end the ongoing persecution its people are being subjected to, in some parts of the country.
Governor Mohammed who made the statement at the official launching of the 2020/2021 annual livestock vaccination campaign held at the Galambi Cattle Ranch in Bauchi, also said his recent statements faulting the labelling of a particular tribe with crime, was meant to protect the country from further polarization.
Sounding a warning to the Fulani, he tasked Fulani communities across the country to ensure their people remain law-abiding and eschew crime and criminality, adding that they must make sure they expose the bad ones among them.
“In as much as we will protect them that they cannot be profiled badly, they should make efforts to show that the majority of them are good citizens, contributing positively to the growth and development of Nigeria,” he warned.
“I am calling on our brothers, the Fulanis to ensure that they make their communities free of criminalit," he added.
In defense of his previous statements against ethnic profiling, he said, “We kicked against the profiling of the Fulanis as killers and kidnappers. We have no apology for what we have done because what we have done is to say the truth, that there is no tribe or group that is free from criminality.
“We are not saying that to spite anybody or spark unnecessary controversy; we have made our point.
“Nigerians across the board have discussed it and I am happy to say that from all indications, the majority of sensible Nigerians have appreciated what we have said and that is the point.
“I will, therefore, not mention anything of this matter for fear that controversy will escalate. I will listen to voices of reasoning and keep quiet about it.”
The governor submitted that the Fulani people had over the years made sacrifices in their nomadic and pastoral life, noting that the protein needs of Nigerians through the supply of beef would not have been obtainable without the pastoralists.