Insecurity: Stop Alleged Profiling Of Northerners, ACF Warns Amotekun

The apex northern socio-cultural organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has condemned the alleged profiling of some northern women in Ondo State by operatives of Amotekun Corps.

In a statement issued by ACF Board of Trustees chairman, Bashir M. Dalhatu, yesterday, he said the attempt by officials of the Ondo State Amotekun Corps to profile, intimidate and threaten to deport fellow Nigerians to their states or regions of origin is especially alarming.

ACF said such conduct had no basis in law and  was wholly incompatible with the constitutional order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The Forum stated that no provision under Nigerian law empowered any state government, security outfit or local authority to deport Nigerian citizens from one part of the federation to another.

According to ACF, every Nigerian has an equal stake in every part of Nigeria and enjoys constitutionally protected rights wherever they choose to live and work.

The statement said, “The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has watched with deep concern and outrage a widely circulated video showing operatives of the Ondo State Amotekun Corps arresting, profiling and publicly parading a group of women whose apparent offence is that they are Hausa/Fulani Northerners residing and carrying out their lawful activities in Ondo State”

“The ACF strongly condemns this disturbing action, which is not only discriminatory and unconstitutional but also represents a dangerous assault on the rights and dignity of Nigerian citizens.

Nigeria is a sovereign republic founded on the principles of equality, citizenship and the rule of law”

ACF added, “The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees every citizen the right to move freely throughout the country and to reside in any part thereof without discrimination based on ethnic origin, religion, language or place of birth. No agency of government, whether federal, state or local, possesses the legal authority to treat citizens as strangers in their own country simply because they belong to a particular ethnic group.

“We are particularly disturbed that the victims in the reported incident appear to be women engaged in ordinary economic and social activities. The public humiliation of law-abiding citizens based on ethnic profiling and guilt by association is unacceptable in a democratic society and must be rejected by all Nigerians of goodwill. While appreciating the enormous security challenges confronting many states of the federation”

The statement noted that, “ACF maintains that criminality must be fought through lawful investigation, credible intelligence gathering and evidence-based law enforcement. Entire communities cannot be criminalised because of the actions of a few individuals. To do so is unjust, counterproductive and a direct invitation to ethnic tension. The Forum further warns that such reckless actions carry serious implications for national cohesion and security. At a time when Nigeria is striving to strengthen unity and overcome multiple security challenges, conduct that stigmatises and targets citizens based on ethnicity risks provoking avoidable tensions and reprisals in other parts of the country”

“Thousands of citizens of Ondo State and the wider South-West live, work and conduct business peacefully across Northern Nigeria. It is in the collective interest of all Nigerians that no action be taken anywhere in the country that could endanger this long-standing tradition of peaceful coexistence,” ACF said.