A Fulani youth leader in Plateau State, Hamisu Garba, has firmly stated that attempts by natives to forcefully intimidate and chase Fulani people out of the state will not succeed, asserting that they are legitimate citizens of Plateau State.
In an exclusive interview with BenriNews, Garba emphasized that he and many other Fulani people were born and raised in Plateau State and consider it their home.
"I, like many other Fulani people, are also part of Plateau State and efforts, or should I say attempts to intimidate, frustrate and chase us out of Plateau will not work," Hamisu declared.
The youth leader pointed to his deep roots in the state, stating, "I was born in Plateau State, I have my indigene form duly signed by both my district head and local government chairman which makes me a bona fide citizen of Plateau State."
Hamisu further explained that his entire family has lived in Plateau for generations. "My parents were born in Plateau State and all my siblings were born and raised in Plateau State. All my life, I have lived in Plateau, I went to primary, secondary and university in Plateau State."
Challenging Ethnic Profiling
The Fulani leader expressed frustration over what he described as ethnic profiling, questioning why Fulani people are often collectively labeled as criminals.
"Yes, I agree that there are criminal elements among our people and just like our Governor, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang said sometime ago, there are also criminals in other tribes," Hamisu acknowledged.
He listed several ethnic groups in Plateau, noting that criminal elements exist within all communities. "There are Mwaghavul criminals; there are Berom criminals; there are Tarok criminals; there are Ngas criminals; there are Irigwe criminals; there are Mupun criminals and there are Fulani criminals."
According to Hamisu, investigations have revealed that some attacks attributed to Fulani herders actually involve natives who are recruited and paid to provide information about their communities.
Call for Peaceful Coexistence
Reflecting on the past, Hamisu recalled a time when different communities lived together harmoniously in Plateau State.
"We have been living in peace for years. I grew up in our village rearing our cattle, playing with our neighbours, visiting them during Christmas and Easter, and they also visited us during Sallah and we ate together, played football together and some of our older uncles and aunties were married to the natives," he reminisced.
The youth leader emphasized that Fulani community leaders are actively working to promote peaceful coexistence. "We as youth leaders have been engaging our people and educating them to live peacefully with others. We have been advocating for peaceful coexistence and we expect other tribes to do the same thing instead of putting all their efforts at demonizing us."
Hamisu concluded with a firm stance: "Like I said earlier, not all Fulani people are criminals and bandits. We also have criminals in other tribes as well and everyone knows this. We just want to be left alone."
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