Ribadu speaks in defense of Fulanis, says they are marginalised, not benefiting from Nigeria
- Nuhu Ribadu says Fulanis are not benefiting from Nigeria in any way
- He said people who are landless will continue to be a problem; and that these people are now fighting to say they are part of the country
- He further stated that apart from the nomadic education programme that was put in place, Nigeria has not made any effort to integrate the Fulani into the country
A former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu, says members of the Fulani ethnic group are not benefiting from Nigeria in any way.
Ribadu made the comment while speaking at a conflict resolution summit on the farmers/herders crisis on Monday, October 8, The Nation reports.
NAIJ.com gathers that the former EFCC boss said the Fulani people are angry with President Muhammadu Buhari because they think he has abandoned them. He further opined that nomadic lifestyle is not peculiar to Nigeria; stating that the country must deal with the problem squarely.
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He said: “We forget that people who are landless will continue to be a problem and part of the problem we are facing today is these people fighting to say we are part of this country.
“They want a place of their own, where they will be taken care of; but there is resistance. That is why you see what is going on in Zamfara, Birnin Gwari and most of the places.
“The Fulani in the town who claim to be part of them, or even their traditional rulers who claim to be their leaders, don’t understand what they are going through. They are people who are completely out of everything.
“You can hardly see any nomadic Fulani man that is part of state assembly or the National Assembly and they form about 15 to 20 million of the population and they are marginalised. They are not in any way benefiting from what is happening in the country today.”
Ribadu further stated that apart from the nomadic education programme that was put in place, Nigeria has not made any effort to integrate the Fulanis into the country.
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He added: “People have continued to misunderstand what is going on. President Buhari has nothing to do with what is going on.
“In fact, the Fulani are even angry with him because they think he has abandoned them. They think he is listening to the others and that he gives audience to the people from Benue, Plateau and never gave them audience."
Meanwhile, NAIJ.com previously reported that a Fulani man on Twitter called out his tribesmen for the violence in the northern part of the country.
The man, tweeting with the handle @HAHayatu, described himself in his profile as an entrepreneur, retired banker and a firm believer in positive change.
According to him, 70 percent of the banditry and kidnapping in the North are perpetrated by his tribesmen.
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Source: Naija.ng