Human rights lawyer, Chief Malcolm Omirhobo, has faulted the comparison drawn by Kaduna-based cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, between the terrorist groups and the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB).
Omirhobo stated this in a statement released on Sunday via his social media handle titled; “Fulani Terrorism Cannot Be Equated With IPOB Self-Determination: Nigeria Must Stop Rewarding Violence.”
“I strongly condemn the recent attempt by Sheikh Ahmad Gumi and certain northern elites to draw a moral equivalence between the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Fulani terrorists. This comparison is reckless, misleading, and an insult to the victims of terrorism,” he stated.
Clarifying the orientations of both categories, the human rights lawyer maintained that IPOB was demanding a separate state through agitation and self-determination while the terrorists are engaged in revenge killings, kidnappings, land occupation, and violent domination.
“These are not the same and must never be treated as such,” he said.
Omirhobo added that if Sheikh Gumi insists that Fulani terrorists have grievances, Nigerians deserve clear answers.
He then posed the questions, asking, “Who offended them, what injustice justifies the killing, kidnap, rape, and displacement of thousands? Why should terrorists be praised for “listening” while citizens are buried daily?”
Omirhobo insisted that the Fulani are not oppressed, adding that they occupy major positions in government, security forces, and national politics. “Nigeria must stop rewarding violence and blaming victims,” he said.
He stressed that if there are people with legitimate grievances, it is communities like his in the Niger Delta.
“Our oil and gas are taken to sustain Nigeria, but our people live in poverty; our rivers, creeks, and farmlands are polluted beyond use. We cannot fish, farm, or hunt anymore.
“Yet we do not take up arms against innocent Nigerians. We seek justice, not bloodshed.
“Northern elites must stop misleading their people and glorifying terrorists. Terrorism is a crime. Self-determination is a legal debate. The two must never be confused or equated,” he added.
He charged the Nigerian society on the need to choose whether to continue justifying terror and silence truth “or will we uphold justice, equality, and the sanctity of human life?”
