Fulani pastoralists are taxpayers, not terrorists or kidnappers – Group

The Fulbe Development and Cultural Organisation (FUDECO) has lamented the continued labelling of Fulani people as terrorists and kidnappers, noting that the Fulani, being a pastoralist community, are employers of labour, taxpayers, and contributors to the nation’s food value chain across West Africa.

The group frowned at the lingering stereotype that labels the Fulani ethnic group as bandits or kidnappers, regretting that criminals from other ethnic groups are described simply as criminals.

Speaking during the Fulbe National Day and Cultural Festival held in Maiduguri at the weekend, Ayuba Usman Bawuro, Coordinator of FUDECO, Borno State chapter, who represented the national chairman, Amb. Sarli Sardou Nana, noted that such selective labelling fuels prejudice, undermines social cohesion, and hampers development.

He said the Fulbe remain central to the nation’s food system, adding that their livestock and agricultural produce sustain families and markets across the country.

He, however, noted that the challenges facing Fulbe pastoralists include continued suffering from insurgency, kidnapping, cattle rustling, and the hardship associated with transhumance migration.

Of particular concern, he further noted, is the rising drug abuse among pastoralist youths, which has become a trigger for violence and farm-related disputes. He said the Fulbe community must address this scourge through education, counselling, and community-based rehabilitation to prevent further destabilisation of their fragile peace.

Bawuro expressed gratitude to Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State for establishing the RUGA programme and for including Fulbe pastoralists as beneficiaries.

“We thank the Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation for granting us approval to conduct research on pastoralist children’s education. The findings and policy recommendations have been made public, and we look forward to their implementation,” he said.

In his keynote address, Ahmed Ahidjo, Chief Medical Director of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), who also received an award at the cultural festival, urged the Fulbe community to enrol their children in school and encouraged pastoralists to build ranches for their livestock to avert persistent herder–farmer clashes.

“We have sacrificed a lot for meat production and other agricultural inputs to sustain families and society. What do we get at the end? We are being tagged as terrorists, kidnappers and bandits. These misconceptions must be addressed,” Ahidjo said.

During a panel discussion featuring Abdullahi Yuguda and Mohammed Adamu Maude, issues explored included: Words That Wound: How Stereotypes and Name-Calling Undermine Fulbe Justice; Open Grazing Ban: A Cure for Conflict or a New Challenge for Pastoralists?; and Empowering the Future: How Girls’ Education Transforms Pastoral Communities.

Other award recipients at the event were the Zanna Boguma of Borno, Hassan Boguma, and Amb. Nyalli, while the Fulbe cultural troupe entertained guests with various performances.