GAFDAN decries detention of 3,500 Fulani herdsmen in various Nigeria prison

There are over 3,500 Fulani in various detentions across Nigeria, as Fulani people have been criminalised, stereotyped as killers and are arrested at will by security agencies, a Fulani ethnic organisation has cried out.

According to Gan-Allah Fulani Development Association of Nigeria (GAFDAN), an umbrella group for Fulani ethnic organisations in Nigeria, Fulani people are seen as the black sheep that commit all the crimes and must be punished even for offences that they never committed. They are deemed guilty as charged, while other tribes are innocent until proven guilty.

Chairman of GAFDAN, Alhaji Saleh Bayeri, told correspondents on Sunday in Kaduna, that the Federal Government and security agencies needed to do something fast to buckle the dangerous trend, while Fulani people in captivity must be charged to court to enable the law prove them innocent or guilty.
According to him, “There are a lot of problems, but the most important one is the issue of insecurity in the country. it did not start with Fulani ethnic group, it started with other groups that also commit crimes like armed robbery and kidnapping. The issue of armed robbery in Nigeria was entirely an issue of Southern part in South East or South West especially in Lagos, Anambra states and other part of the South East.
“With the advert of time, the problem started coming to the North. So even this issue of kidnapping is something that cropped into North from the Southern part. But unfortunately, during all the commission of this crime in the south no ethnic group was completely stereotyped, stigmatized and blackmailed to the extent that every member of that tribe is seen as part of that criminality than Fulani herdsmen or Fulani persons.
“Criminal activities in Nigeria was never an ethnic, religious or regional issue. But with the advent of ethnic and religious hatred against us Fulani, because we belong to a large ethnic group in Nigeria, we have been painted black and made victims of the stereotype and seen by many people as criminals until we prove ourselves otherwise. Under all laws, everybody has fundamental rights of being innocent until proven otherwise by the competent court of law.
“There are over 3,500 Fulani herdsmen in detentions in various security posts. Our opponent, despite ongoing killings between herdsmen and farmers, are alleging that it’s the herdsmen that are killing the farmers and security agents because of government influence. That because government is headed by a Fulani person that no prosecution, no arrest have been made against the perpetrators of killings in any crises, which I know is not true
“I want to call on President Muhammadu Buhari, Inspector General of Police, DG SSS, DG NIA, Chief of Army staff and anybody in custody of Fulani persons on the allegations of any offence whether it is proven or not to please charge them to court and the suspects if found guilty should be sentenced to serve as lesson to other. If not found guilty, they should be discharged and acquitted.
“Let Federal Government set up a committee and go round the nation’s prisons, police stations, cells, or any security stations, you will find that 40% to 50% of detainees are Fulani tribe who are accused of various offences largely criminals charges. By charging the suspect to court, we can be seen as true democratic country where rule of law is respected.”