A Fulani youth leader in Plateau State, Hamisu Garba, says no group or individual has the right to threaten or intimidate them into leaving the state, as they are equally citizens of Plateau.
Speaking during an interview, Garba made it clear that the Fulani community in the state are not strangers. He said many of them, including himself, were born and brought up in Plateau, and know no other home apart from the state.
According to him, the Nigerian Constitution allows anyone to claim a state as their place of origin if they were born and raised there.
Garba expressed concern over what he sees as targeted efforts by some people to push the Fulani out of the state, warning that such attempts will not succeed.
“I, like many other Fulani people, are also part of Plateau State and efforts, or should I say attempts to intimidate, frustrate and chase us out of Plateau will not work,” he said.
He added, “I was born in Plateau State, I have my indigene form duly signed by both my district head and local government chairman which makes me a bona fide citizen of Plateau State.”
Garba shared that his entire family – parents and siblings – were all born and raised in Plateau. He also completed all his education there, from primary school to university. Except for his youth service in Enugu, he said he has lived his whole life in Plateau.
He questioned why the Fulani are often accused of being troublemakers, saying such profiling is unfair.
“So if anyone says we should leave Plateau, where do they want us to go? Is it a crime that we are Fulanis? Why are some people always profiling us as criminals and trouble makers?” he asked.
He admitted there are bad elements among the Fulani, just like in every other tribe. He pointed to the statement made by the Governor of Plateau, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, who also noted that criminals exist in all ethnic groups.
“There are Mwaghavul criminals; there are Berom criminals; there are Tarok criminals; there are Ngas criminals; there are Irigwe criminals; there are Mupun criminals and there are Fulani criminals,” Garba stated.
He further said that while some herders have caused issues, it does not mean the entire Fulani community should be blamed. He claimed that even some natives are involved in criminal acts and have been used by attackers to carry out violence.
“It will interest you to know that some natives are paid as little as N20,000 to provide information on their communities,” he added.
Garba recalled a time when Fulani and natives lived peacefully, exchanged visits during Christian and Muslim festivals, and even had intermarriages.
“We all lived in peace but I don’t know where and when the battle line was drawn and all of a sudden, the Fulani people became an endangered species that must be exterminated and chased out of Plateau State,” he said.
He stressed that Fulani youth leaders have continued to talk to their people about peace and coexistence, and he called on other tribes to do the same.
“We just want to be left alone,” he concluded.
