The Concerned Fulani People of Nigeria has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde to urgently intervene and caution Yoruba nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo (Sunday Igboho), over what it described as inflammatory statements allegedly directed at Fulani communities in Oyo State.
The group in the statement signed by the Convener of the Concerned Fulani People of Nigeria, Ibrahim Barkindo Chubado, also urged governors across the South-West to step in, warning that continued public threats and ethnic generalisations could heighten tensions and undermine ongoing security efforts in the region.
The appeal followed reports that Igboho issued a two-hour ultimatum to Fulani leaders in Oyo State over the alleged kidnapping of a woman, her children and a sibling by suspected abductors.
In the said reports, Igboho was quoted as threatening retaliation if the victims were not released within the timeframe, insisting that he was prepared to confront suspected perpetrators allegedly operating from a forest reserve.
“I am giving them two hours. They must return the woman, her children and sibling whom they kidnapped overnight. If I don’t see them within those two hours, we will clash,” he was quoted as saying.
He was also reported to have vowed to storm a forest reserve believed to be a hideout for the kidnappers, saying: “That forest reserve where they camp, we are coming there… we will invade that forest.”
Reacting in a statement issued on Sunday, June 21, 2026, the organisation warned that such remarks risked escalating ethnic suspicion and could trigger reprisal violence if not checked.
The group insisted that members of the Fulani ethnic group should not be collectively blamed for the actions of criminal elements, stressing that kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes are not tied to any ethnic nationality.
It added that Fulani communities remain law-abiding citizens and cautioned against what it described as recurring tendencies to profile them without evidence.
According to the statement, the organisation expressed concern that similar allegations in the past had led to attacks on Fulani settlements in parts of Oyo State, including Ibarapa and Iganna, resulting in deaths, displacement and destruction of property.
The group claimed that some of the incidents later linked to Fulani communities were, in certain cases, traced to individuals from other ethnic groups, urging authorities to rely strictly on verified investigations before drawing conclusions.
“We are not saying there are no bad eggs among Fulani, Hausa or other groups. However, criminals should be treated as individuals and not as representatives of an entire ethnic nationality,” the statement read.
The organisation further described recurring farmer-herder clashes as largely economic in nature, warning that they should not be allowed to degenerate into ethnic or religious confrontations.
It urged the Federal Government and South-West governors to intensify efforts at de-escalation, promote dialogue among communities and strengthen security operations to curb kidnapping and violent crimes.
The group also called on the authorities to caution the activist and other influential voices against remarks capable of inflaming tensions.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Seyi Makinde and other South-West governors were urged to “take proactive steps to preserve peace and ensure harmonious coexistence among all ethnic groups.”
He stressed that the appeal was made in the interest of national stability and peaceful coexistence.
He concluded that Nigerians must support security agencies in tackling kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes “without resorting to ethnic or religious generalisations.”
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