The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has expressed deep concern over heightened stereotyping and negative profiling of Fulani pastoralists as kidnappers by both traditional and new media.
The national secretary of the MACBAN, Bello Aliyu Gotomo, in a statement noted that it was deeply disturbing how the media stigmatised pastoralists without any iota of proof, especially when a case of kidnapping is reported.
Gotomo stressed that criminality was not unique to Fulani pastoralists; therefore, there’s no basis for the media to narrow its searchlight on Fulani alone.
“This attitude only results in shielding the identity of the real perpetrators. Now that investigations are clearly linking such crimes to other ethnic groups, the media ought to apologise to Fulani pastoral communities for the unnecessary vilification and haunting of the innocent,” he said.
He said the MACBAN would not hesitate to institute legal action against any individual, group or media organisations for peddling unfounded allegations about the Fulani race, saying, “criminals should be seen as such, no matter their religious or ethnic inclination.”