Hundreds of members of the Hausa community in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Wednesday staged a peaceful protest against what they described as increasing ethnic profiling, discrimination and stigmatization of their people following recent kidnapping incidents in parts of the state.
The demonstrators, comprising community leaders, traders, youths and residents from various Hausa settlements across the city, marched through major streets carrying placards with inscriptions such as: ‘Stop Ethnic Profiling’, ‘Criminals Have No Tribe’, ‘We Are Law-Abiding Citizens’, and ‘Justice, Not Stigmatization’.
The protest comes amid heightened security concerns in Oyo State following the abduction of 46 pupils and teachers in a coordinated attack on three schools in Oriire local government area a few weeks ago. The incident sparked widespread outrage and renewed public concern over rising insecurity, particularly kidnapping for ransom.
Addressing newsmen during the demonstration, leaders of the Hausa community expressed concern that innocent members of their ethnic group were increasingly being viewed with suspicion and unfairly linked to criminal activities because some suspects arrested in connection with kidnapping cases were reportedly of northern origin.
Some of the protesters emphasized that many Hausa residents in the state were themselves victims of insecurity and remained committed to collaborating with law enforcement authorities to expose criminals hiding within their communities.
The demonstrators urged the Oyo State government and traditional leaders to promote unity and reassure all residents of their safety and equal rights under the law. They argued that while criminality should be decisively tackled by security agencies, entire communities should not be blamed for the actions of a few individuals.
One of the community leaders said the Hausa population in Oyo State had lived peacefully with their Yoruba hosts for decades and had contributed significantly to the state’s economy through commerce, transportation, agriculture and other legitimate businesses.
“We condemn kidnapping and every form of criminality. Those responsible for these crimes should be identified, arrested and prosecuted. However, it is unjust to label an entire ethnic group as criminals because of the actions of a few bad elements”, he said.
The protesters also alleged that some of their members had recently experienced harassment, verbal abuse and social exclusion as a result of growing public suspicion following reports of kidnapping activities in some parts of the state. According to them, such developments could threaten the long-standing peaceful coexistence between different ethnic groups in Oyo State if not properly addressed.
The community called on security agencies to rely on intelligence gathering, investigations and evidence-based policing rather than stereotypes in the fight against insecurity.
The protest ended peacefully under the watch of security personnel, with community representatives submitting their grievances and demands to relevant authorities.
