"Fulani are a people group, not a militia group."
“The Fulani are a people group, not a militia group”. The number of times we have to explain this every week in our work is testament to the successful media campaign against the Fulani people. Yes, some Fulani do evil acts, but so do people from every ethnic group in Nigeria. Yet no other people group is on the receiving end of such systemic ethnic profiling, misinformation and one sided storytelling.
Why are the Fulani hated so much in the media? Is it because they are primarily Muslim?
Unlikely, as there are many Muslim majority ethnic groups in Nigeria that escape the media storm.
Is it because they are cattle herders?
Possibly - societies have often turned on those who are different.
Yet history shows how Nigeria once valued cattle herders so much that they mapped and protected their routes so the people and animals could move freely – Nigeria needed the free organic animal manure. But now farmers have turned to chemicals, the cattle routes are often blocked – where are the Fulani and their animals to go? How hurtful it must be to have once been so welcomed and valued, to now being so hated and despised!
Is it because some Fulani people commit some violent acts?
Some people will say that the Fulani people are stereotyped in the media as a violent militia group because they commit violent acts. While it is true that some Fulani have committed some atrocities, it is also true that people from every ethnic group in Nigeria have committed violent acts. Yet we hear a lot less in the media about the Berom militia, the Mwaghavul militia, the Tiv militia etc, despite the fact that every ethnic group has vigilante groups.
The silence surrounding the suffering of the Fulani people is mysterious.
Another thing that is strange is the silence surrounding the suffering of the Fulani people.
It is likely that you have heard about attacks that Fulani people committed. But have you also heard about attacks that they suffered? Have you heard the stories about Fulani homes being burnt, Fulani people being kidnapped and killed etc. If you didn't hear about these things it is not because it didn't happen. It is because it wasn't written up in the media. Every type of tragedy detailed in the news that happens to families from Christian/farming communities has also happened to Fulani families. But why is it that the media only tells of the attacks that Fulani people do and not the attacks that they suffer? Why is it that the media only tells of the attacks Christians and farmers suffer, and neglects to tell about the attacks that they do? Everyone is suffering because of violence. Every story needs to be told if we are to gain a clear understanding of what is happening in Nigeria so that appropriate solutions can be found.
Here are a few examples of some of the suffering of Fulani people this year (photos at the end):
Earlier this year 1000s of Fulani suffered extensively in April as their homes were destroyed and they were detained in a camp in Kwara state. Nigeria: Authorities must investigate deaths of at least 150 Fulani people in military camp - Amnesty International
Currently there is mass migration of Fulani people fleeing from Nigeria as the situation becomes too difficult for them dailytrust.com/insecurity-lack-of-grazing-routes-push-herders-to-cameroon-chad
This week 45 Fulani families are displaced after their homes were destroyed in Plateau State Fulani families recount Losses After Mwaghavul Militia Lunched Deadly attack in Plateau
Those are only a few isolated incidents, there are many, many, many more, almost daily. We have tried to document some of them here. www.wholetruthnigeria.net/attacks-on-fulani
Why do these stories of the Fulani people suffering not reach the media? Why do some stories seem to matter more to the media than others? Why does the suffering of people from some ethnicities and religions get left off the lists of data that are used to perpetuate incomplete narratives? www.wholetruthnigeria.net/orfa-incomplete-data
Surely all lives matter, every ethnic group is valuable and the whole truth is important.
Surely all lives matter, every ethnic group is valuable and the whole truth is important.
There are around 20 million Fulani in Nigeria. That’s millions and millions of peace-loving Fulani men, women and children with a beautiful language and culture who are sick and tired of suffering and violence, who are traumatised over and over by ethnic profiling and media stereotyping on top of the physical attacks they deal with just like any other ethnic group.
Let’s write about these peaceful, suffering Fulani. Let’s focus on them, let’s tell their stories. Let’s start to listen to the millions and millions of Fulani people who are desperately trying to get on with their day to day life despite appalling challenges, instead of focussing on the small number of Fulani who do violence.
Violence should not win, the violent minority should not control the narrative. Let’s stand together against violence, not against an entire ethnic group.
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