Governor Umaru Mohammed Bago of Niger State has demanded that the Fulani community work with security agencies to curb insecurity, warning that criminal actions are poisoning the group's image. He made the call on July 18 in Minna while addressing community members.
"Anyone who is kidnapped and later released will say it was Fulani who abducted them," Bago said. "There is no way people will not begin to resent you because of this."
The governor urged Fulani leaders to pressure their kinsmen hiding in forests to abandon violence and rejoin society. He noted that nobody has stopped Fulani from grazing cattle, farming, or living in peace, yet some have chosen to prey on innocent citizens.
"If they cannot be found, then you will be held accountable," Bago warned. The governor's tough message reflected growing frustration with kidnappings and killings blamed on armed groups operating in the state.
Bago also slammed community members for failing to report armed strangers in their midst to authorities. He said Fulani who spot gunmen should immediately alert security forces instead of staying silent.
"You see Fulani carrying guns, yet you do not inform the security agencies that these people are not our relatives and that they have come to create unrest," he said. "We have lived together for many years, and this is not right.
It must stop."
The governor extended his call for restraint to Islamic clerics engaged in public disputes. He warned against sermons capable of sparking tension or violence among residents.
Bago made clear that the state government would shut down any mosque promoting inflammatory preaching. "If this does not stop, the government will shut down any mosque found to be delivering sermons that incite the public," he said.
The governor framed these measures as part of a broader push to strengthen security and maintain peaceful coexistence across Niger State's diverse communities. His remarks signal the administration's determination to tackle both criminal violence and the rhetoric fueling it.
