National Issues
Pampering Of Fulanis Didn’t Start With Buhari – Don Reveals
Olutayo Charles Adesina, a Professor of History from the University of Ibadan, has attempted to provide answers to some nagging questions threatening peaceful coexistence in Nigeria, particularly why the ‘Fulani Question’ has continued to remain topical issue.
The University Don, who is also an elder brother to Chief Femi Adesina , President Muhammadu Buhari’s spokesman, said, “the Fulani people have remained the most pampered in the history of Nigeria”.
The don gave these submissions while featuring on a weekly Radio Show, Parrot Xtra Hour on Radio in Ibadan, the state’s capital on Monday evening.
The don said that it should not be surprising to anyone that almost all the other tribes are against the Fulanis because of the general belief that the group is being ‘favored and pampered’.
Adesina submitted that this was not created by the President Muhammadu Buhari led-Administration but as a result of the administrative deficiency and favoritism on the part of Nigeria’s British Colonial Masters.
He said further that the problem started when the colonial administration created cattle routes from the North to the South, which led to the ‘grabbing’ of lands from the original and indigenous owners thereby causing disaffection between those affected and the Fulanis.
He stated that the British Colonial government pampered the Fulanis through the indirect rule system practiced in the North, which led to the immediate success of the practice there.
He said, “The British did not take away their privileges, and when you retain certain privileges, you appear invincible while in the South some of our traditional rulers were rough handled by the Colonial Administrators”.
He described the relationship between Fulanis and Yorubas specifically as ‘age long’ dating back to years before 1800. He said that the Fulanis migrated across the Sahara to settle down among the Yorubas.
He said there was an existing symbiotic relationship between Yoruba farmers and the Fulani herdsmen that was bilateral – where goods and products were exchanged while adding that the significant point of the relationship was the period when the Yoruba farmers invited the Fulanis to their farms after the harvesting of their farm products in exchange for manures via cow dung.
According to him “Over the centuries, we have seen the relationship between the herdsmen who came from across the Sahara, to Yorubaland and at the beginning of the raining season, they moved back to the edge of the Sahara. It was the farmers that used to invite the Fulani herdsmen after harvest to come to their farms so that the cattle dung will serve as manure for the farmers”.
He, however, opined that political, population, religious pressure can be said to be responsible for the frequent skirmishes among the two tribes.
“Our people in the South West of Nigeria really need to study their neighbors and understand them. Specifically, I do not think we Yorubas understand the Fulanis. They look fragile, harmless and friendly. But we really need to understand them. I will not say more than that.”
While answering a question on the issue of the South West Security Network Codenamed Amotekun, he described the establishment of the security outfit as a good development.
He commended the concerted efforts of the governors in the six South Western states for giving the people a sense of security. He added that the teething problems being encountered by the security outfit at the initial stage will be not last for long.
The Professor, however, charged the Governors to provide more support for the security outfit in order for them to perform their assigned duties better.
When asked about the continued non-prioritization of the study of History as a subject in Nigerian secondary schools specifically, the Professor responded “we have never stopped agitating that History as a subject to be studied in schools should be given top priority. The attitude of successive administrations to this is disappointing. This is why our culture and value systems are being eroded. Because if you do not know where you are coming from, you will not know where you are and you will not be able to plan for where you are going. The future of the country is being affected by this. Even our children are not interested in knowing their history any more. And without a sense of history, there is no sense of mission or direction.”
Amid rising killings and a wave of mass abductions by gunmen and suspected terrorists across the country, President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday declared a nationwide security emergency.
The President, in a statement personally signed and released in Abuja, also ordered an immediate expansion of the manpower of the Armed Forces and the Nigeria Police Force as the Federal Government rushes to halt the worsening insecurity.
“Today, in view of the emerging security situation, I have decided to declare a nationwide security emergency and order additional recruitment into the Armed Forces,” Tinubu said.
“By this declaration, the police and the army are authorised to recruit more personnel. The police will recruit an additional 20,000 officers, bringing the total to 50,000.”
Tinubu explained that he had already approved upgrades of police training facilities nationwide and authorised the use of selected National Youth Service Corps camps as police training depots.
He added that officers withdrawn from VIP guard duties would undergo “crash training” before being redeployed to areas battling heightened insecurity.
The President also directed the Department of State Services to immediately deploy all trained forest guards to flush out terrorists and bandits hiding in forests across the country. The DSS was further authorised to recruit additional personnel.
“There will be no more hiding places for agents of evil. This is a national emergency. We are deploying more boots on the ground, especially in vulnerable communities. The times require all hands on deck. As Nigerians, we must all get involved in securing our nation,” he said.
Tinubu commended security agencies for jointly securing the release of 24 abducted schoolgirls in Kebbi State and 38 worshippers in Kwara State. He assured that efforts were ongoing to rescue students of Catholic schools in Niger State and other kidnapped Nigerians still in captivity.
“To the leadership and rank and file of our Armed Forces, I commend your courage and sacrifice. This is a challenging moment for our nation and for the military itself. I charge you to remain resolute, restore peace across all theatres of operation, and uphold the highest standards of discipline. There must be no compromise, no collusion, and no negligence,” he added.
The President announced that the Federal Government would support state governments operating community-based security outfits.
Tinubu also urged the National Assembly to begin reviewing laws that would allow states seeking to establish their own police forces to do so.
He warned states against maintaining boarding schools in remote areas without adequate security and advised churches and mosques in vulnerable areas to engage security agencies when organising large gatherings.
On the lingering farmer–herder clashes, Tinubu restated that the newly created Ministry of Livestock Development would provide long-term solutions. He appealed to herders to embrace ranching, end open grazing, and surrender illegal weapons.
“I sympathise with the families who have lost their loved ones in recent attacks on soft targets in Kebbi, Borno, Zamfara, Niger, Yobe, and Kwara states. I also pay tribute to our brave soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice, including Brigadier-General Musa Uba,” he said.
Warning criminal groups not to undermine the state, Tinubu emphasised that his administration possessed the resolve and capacity to secure the country.
“Fellow compatriots, I urge you not to give in to fear or despair. Stand firm to defend our freedom and values. Our administration will continue to guarantee peaceful co-existence and preserve our union.”
He called on citizens to remain vigilant, report suspicious activities, and cooperate with security agencies.
Tinubu’s declaration came amid nationwide outrage after the killing of at least five people in Kebbi and Kwara states, and the abduction of over 300 schoolchildren from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State, and St Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, in Niger State.
The Presidency on Monday said the United States Government has expressed readiness to deepen security cooperation with Nigeria through enhanced intelligence sharing, supply of defence equipment and other support to boost ongoing operations against terrorists and violent extremist groups.
It said the commitment followed a series of engagements held last week in Washington, DC, between a high-level Nigerian delegation and top US officials aimed at strengthening bilateral security ties and opening new areas of collaboration.
The delegation, led by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, met with senior officials from the US Congress, White House Faith Office, State Department, National Security Council and the Department of War.
Other members of the delegation included the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Defence Intelligence, Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Undiandeye; the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; and two representatives from the Office of the NSA.
According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Nigerian team used the engagements to debunk allegations of genocide in the country, insisting that violent attacks cut across religious and ethnic divides.
Onanuga said the delegation also rejected what it described as the “wrongful framing” of Nigeria’s security challenges, noting that such portrayals risked further dividing citizens and misrepresenting realities on the ground.
“The discussions provided ample opportunity to correct misconceptions about Nigeria, forged a constructive, solution-driven partnership with the United States, reinforced mutual trust, and advanced a coordinated approach to protecting vulnerable communities, especially in the Middle Belt,” the statement read.
He added that the US expressed willingness to offer complementary support, including humanitarian assistance to affected populations in the Middle Belt and technical aid to strengthen early-warning mechanisms.
Onanuga said both countries agreed to immediately implement a non-binding cooperation framework and set up a Joint Working Group to coordinate agreed areas of collaboration. Nigeria, he added, reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing civilian protection measures.
“The Federal Government restates its awareness of heightened sensitivities regarding religious freedom and security, and urges citizens to remain assured that firm, urgent, and coordinated steps are being taken to secure the nation,” he stated.
The development comes weeks after former US President Donald Trump threatened to deploy American forces to Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” if the government failed to halt what he described as the killing of Christians.
Trump, who also designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged persecution, had on his Truth Social platform accused the government of allowing the “mass slaughter” of Christians and warned that Washington could cut aid and take military action.
“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the USA will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities,” he wrote, adding that he had instructed the US Department of War to prepare for possible operations.
But President Bola Tinubu has repeatedly dismissed claims of genocide against Christians, maintaining that Nigeria remains committed to religious freedom, tolerance and the protection of all citizens regardless of faith.
Suspected bandits have abducted four rice farmers in Bokungi community, Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The incident occurred on Wednesday evening while the victims were working on their farms during the peak of the harvest season. It came barely 24 hours after gunmen attacked a church in Eruku, Ekiti LGA of the state, killing two worshippers and abducting several others.
According to sources, the attackers stormed the farms suddenly and surrounded the farmers as they gathered their harvested rice.
“It has been confirmed that bandits struck again at Bokungi under the Lafiagi Emirate. Four people were abducted. Information is still emerging,” the sources said.
Residents said the gunmen operated for several minutes without resistance, forcing the farmers into a nearby bush before whisking them away to an unknown location.
Community members also lamented rising insecurity in Edu LGA, noting that several farming settlements had been abandoned as farmers now fear venturing out during the harvest period when they are most vulnerable.
The Kwara State Police Command and the state government had yet to comment on the incident as of the time of filing this report.
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