The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, said on Friday that it was wrong to label all Fulani criminals because of the misdeeds of some of them.
“I am a Fulani and I am not a bad man. I am also not a criminal,” the Sultan said at a meeting in Abuja with the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association (MACBAN).
Abubakar who is the Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the MACBAN, added: “Those who engage in one form of crime or another are across the country. It is not proper to refer to any tribe by the crime perpetrated by individuals.”
He acknowledged that although seven out of every 10 kidnappers arrested in the country turn out to be Fulani, they always act in collaboration with people from other ethnic groups.
He said: “For example when they collected N10m, where and how do you spend this amount in the bush? The money is back in the city.
“I have told the Inspector General of Police to check this. We are not saying Fulani are not part of the kidnappings as mentioned by the Secretary of Miyetti Allah.
“Seven to eight kidnappers arrested are Fulani, but that doesn’t mean every Fulani is a criminal. No, they are not.
“We must put hands together to bring an end to this problem. We are going to approach the President to talk to our West African neighbours where we have Fulani like Senegal, Niger Republic Guinea and Mali, to help us, because most of these bandits cross from neighbouring countries to conduct their criminal acts and run back.”
The meeting came on the heels of the recent meeting in Akure between South West State governors and MACBAN following the quit notice served on crinals hiding in government reserved forests in Ondo State by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.
