Stop killings, abductions by your kinsmen or face blame – Bago tells Fulani community
Niger State Governor Urges Fulani Community to Support Security Efforts
Minna, Niger State — Governor Umaru Mohammed Bago has urged the Fulani community to collaborate with security agencies to combat increasing insecurity, emphasizing that armed criminal activities are jeopardizing the community’s reputation.
In a meeting held on July 18, Bago addressed community members in Minna, stating that perceptions of Fulani involvement in crime are leading to widespread resentment. “Anyone who is kidnapped and later released will say it was Fulani who abducted them,” he said. The governor called on community leaders to encourage individuals operating in forests to return to society peacefully, pointing out that the actions of a few are negatively impacting the entire community.
Bago also criticized the failure of the community to report armed strangers. He noted, “You see Fulani carrying guns, yet you do not inform the security agencies that these people are not our relatives and that they have come to create unrest.” He stressed the importance of communal trust, saying, “We have lived together for many years, and this is not right. It must stop.”
Additionally, the governor appealed to Islamic clerics to practice restraint in their public addresses. He warned of possible repercussions for any place of worship found to be inciting violence through inflammatory preaching. “If this does not stop, the government will shut down any mosque found to be delivering sermons that incite the public,” Bago stated.
The measures announced by Governor Bago are part of a broader effort to enhance security and promote peaceful coexistence among all communities in Niger State.
