A Fulani herdsman in Abuja has called on the Bola Tinubu-led administration to immediately stop the entry of foreign herders into Nigeria, accusing them of smuggling weapons and fuelling violent attacks wrongly blamed on local Fulani communities.
In a video obtained by SaharaReporters, the man, who identified himself as a native Fulani born and raised in Abuja, said many crimes attributed to Fulani herdsmen are committed by armed migrants who infiltrate the country through porous borders.
“Not every Fulani man can be called from another place to join us to destroy where we are living. We don’t do that,” he said.
“I was born here. I grew up here in Abuja. I speak Gbagyi fluently. How will I now go and bring somebody from another country to cause problems where I live? Is it possible?”
He insisted that the federal government and security agencies, not local herders, allow armed foreign elements to enter through the nation’s borders.
“Let me ask you: Do we have borders or not? If any Fulani man from outside enters Nigeria, you can know from their face. So why are government customs officers and soldiers letting nonsense people enter?” he questioned.
According to him, weapons from Libya, Chad, Niger and other conflict regions continue to flow into Nigeria because the authorities have failed to secure the borders.
“Government should stop allowing such things to enter Nigeria,” he warned.
The herdsman also urged government to implement a structured education and integration programme for Fulani children living in remote grazing areas, arguing that lack of education increases marginalisation.
“It doesn’t make sense that you who went to school can talk to big men, but I don’t know anything. If you see me in the bush, you may think God did not bless me. How will you get through to me?” he said.
He appealed for permanent grazing settlements with schools, healthcare facilities and good roads, saying it would reduce conflict and constant displacement.
“If government can allocate land for us — one permanent place — and build schools there, put us there, talk to parents and encourage them to send their children to school… all these issues will reduce,” he said.
He added that Fulani herders are willing to pay taxes if the government provides basic services and regulated grazing areas.
“Yes, it is simple. With the population now, everybody knows we must organise everything,” he said.
The herdsman also criticised corruption among Fulani leadership, noting that some leaders misuse funds meant for their communities.
“If government can find good people with integrity… no problem,” he added.
He concluded by condemning discrimination against the Fulani ethnic group.
“In Nigeria today, everything is politics. There is no truth. They are even condemning Fulani as if we are not Nigerians. May God help us.”
His comments come amid rising tension over farmer-herder clashes, banditry, and the infiltration of foreign armed groups across Nigeria’s northern borders.
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