By Michael Owhoko, Ph.D
For how long shall the rest of the country look on while Fulani ethnic militia trouble the peace of Nigeria? Why are Fulani terror groups spreading fear, causing pains and inflicting psychological trauma on Nigerians through deliberate, calculated and organised acts of kidnapping, torture, rape and killings? What exactly do they want, and for how long will Nigeria endure this malevolence? Nigeria’s current despicable image as fifth-most-violent country in the world, is largely due to this jihadist voyage.
Of over 250 ethnic groups in Nigeria, why is the Fulani the only tribe that has chosen this nefarious and cold-hearted path of violating rights of fellow citizens with impunity? If all other ethnic groups resolved to embark on similar acts of violence, will the country be safe and conducive for them to live in? Or do they think they have exclusive capacity for violence? Who will call them and their sponsors to order? Painfully, all other ethnic groups had been in existence in Nigeria before the advent of Fulani in 1800.
Ironically, these lawless and violent extremists constitute a handful of the larger Fulani population who transact and go about their businesses peacefully without links to criminal and armed banditry gangs across the country. Actions and demeanors of these sadistic minority are already rubbing off on the image and reputation of the entire Fulani ethnic nationality, who are being perceived as risky to live with, particularly by victims and Nigerians whose peace and safety have been breached.
In the African tradition, when a group of miscreants deviate from accepted norms, society looks up to leaders and prominent members of such ethnic group to use their authority to prevail on them. In Nigeria, there are influential Fulani leaders who can call these Fulani criminals to order. We have the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Engr. Rabiu Kwankwanso, Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu, NSA Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Mallam El Ru’Fai, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, Alhaji Abdullahi Gaduje, Alhaji Dikko Umar Radda, Alhaji Bala Mohammed, Alhaji Abdullahi Sule, Alhaji Nasir Idris, and so on. They can exert their influence on them to stop the carnage.
The Emir of Kano had demonstrated this possibility previously. As the spiritual leader (khalifa) of the Tijanniyah Sufi order in Nigeria and also leader of Tabital Pulaaku International, a cultural organization of the Fulani, Sanusi is revered among the Fulanis. He had travelled to Ghana in the past to intercede when Ghana threatened to expel Fulani over alleged criminal activities which had fueled public anger and tension in the country.
The Nigerian Fulani is part of Tabital Pulaaku International. Therefore, Sanusi, in his capacity as leader of this cultural organization, can call these Fulani Islamic extremists to order. Besides, prominent Kaduna-based Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, who had interfaced, negotiated and brokered peace with Fulani terror groups in the past, can also deploy his contacts and influence to rein in their activities. Gumi is notable and commands their respect. This is important because of the growing adverse public emotions against Fulani militia, which is slowly but steadily, impacting negatively on the Fulani people.
Furthermore, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) can also mediate by emulating Afenifere and Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF). Afenifere intervened when the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) was going to extremities, just as PANDEF doused tension when Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) exceeded their course, though their mission differed fundamentally from the Fulani jihadists. While the philosophy of the Fulani ethnic militia is based on forceful territorial acquisition driven by jihadism and violent conflict, the struggle of OPC and NDA were based on protection of Yoruba identity and resource control, in that order.
The silence of Fulani leadership is unhelpful and widening public suspicion. Their intervention will not only go a long way to control the damaged reputation of the Fulani ethnic nationality; it will curtail growing tendencies to label Fulani as untrustworthy people with behavioural red flag. This perception is gradually gaining ground, with danger of isolation by other ethnic nationalities in the face of continued threat to peace and safety.
This emerging reality played out recently when a video of a Fulani man went virile. In the video, the man who is of Fulani heritage, expressed frustration when he was refused by other passengers from boarding same commercial bus with them from Lagos to Calabar. Ground of refusal was his ethnic identity as Fulani, whom they considered unsafe to travel with. As a result, his transport fare was refunded and forced by the transport company to disembark.
In the light of this experience, I venture to predict that this is going to be the trend in the coming years. Also, there is high probability of counterattacks over the Fulani menace soon, as endurance capacity of other ethnic groups is nearing dangerous limit. When a man is pushed to the wall with his life threatened, he will be forced to push back, not with smile, but with propelled astronomic anger. Put differently, self-defence will become inevitable and unstoppable, except there is a 180-degree turn by Fulani insurgents.
The Fulani terror groups are overstepping their bounds. This is not the time to keep mute. It is high time prominent Fulani leaders spoke out in unison to condemn and call these miscreants to order. A stitch in time saves nine. Martin Luther King Jnr, said “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” But we all cannot be fools at the same time, hence cannot perish together. It is better to defend oneself than to foolishly yield to unprovoked assaults.
Currently, there is no part of Nigeria that is not under attack by armed Fulani extremists. They have infiltrated all six geo-political areas, occupying farmlands and bushes of ancestral communities of other ethnic nationalities, from where they launch unwarranted onslaughts on innocent citizens. This is unacceptable. These killings must stop before they set the country on fire.
Fulani history of lethal proclivity initially informed the classification of Fulani armed militia as fourth deadliest terror group in the world by the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) in 2015. But somehow, this label later disappeared from the international terrorism rankings, perhaps, due to confusion created by the Nigerian public in recurrently describing armed Fulani terror groups as “bandits” and “gun men”, same way armed herders’ offensives on farmers, are wrongly depicted as “farmers-herders clash”.
From the report of The Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa (ORFA) released this year, 2026, it is scary to note that a total of 79,323 people were killed between 2020 and 2025 across Nigeria, including 42,000 innocent civilians. According to the report, Fulani terror groups alone killed 44 percent of the 42,000, while Boko Haram murdered 8 percent and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) was responsible for 4 percent.
This shows that Fulani ethnic militia are deadlier than Boko Harm, ISWAP, Ansaru, Mahmuda and Lakurawa. This status is aptly captured in the Agatu massacre of 2016 where between 300 and 500 people were killed; the Christmas Eve mayhem at Bokkos and Barkin Ladi local government areas of Plateau State in 2023 where about 200 people were slaughtered; and the Yelwata bloodbath of 2025 which claimed approximately 150 lives. This is exclusive of other killings across the six geo-political areas of the country.
Nigeria cannot continue in this circle. It is a secular country and belongs to all. The various ethnic nationalities that make up Nigeria are historically and culturally different with varied values, dreams and aspirations. They only ceded their sovereignty for Nigeria, and so, no one ethnic group has the right to kill and make life unbearable for others. Citizens should be able to live peacefully in a country where their future and that of their children are guaranteed.
The Fulani leadership should therefore cooperate and work closely with government to stop to this bloodbath, otherwise, a process for peaceful dismemberment of the country should be initiated. It is important to be reminded that ethnic discontent and national injustice were what triggered the quest for regional autonomy and agitation for self-determination as epitomized by Yoruba Nation/Oduduwa Republic, Biafra Republic and Niger Delta Republic. The fire was only put out; the smoke is still raging.
Dr. Mike Owhoko, Lagos-based public policy analyst, author, and journalist, can be reached at www.mikeowhoko.com, and followed on X {formerly Twitter} @michaelowhoko.
