Controversial Nigerian singer Portable has called on Nigerians to stop associating the Fulani ethnic group with banditry, warning that such generalisations unfairly endanger innocent people.
In a video message shared online, the singer said it is wrong to assume that individuals who appear Fulani are involved in criminal activity. According to him, this stereotype has led to wrongful profiling and could result in harm to law-abiding citizens.
Portable noted that many Fulani people are engaged in legitimate livelihoods such as cattle rearing, trading, and small-scale business activities. He stressed that ethnicity should not be used as a basis for identifying criminals.
He also pointed out that Nigeria’s ethnic groups are widely dispersed across the country, adding that Fulani communities live in the South-West just as Yoruba and Igbo populations reside in northern states.
“Please, let’s stop making mistakes by labelling all Fulani as bandits,” he said in the video. “Because you see a group of Fulani inside a bus, you will just conclude they are bandits. They are not bandits.”
He further argued that criminal behaviour is not restricted to any single ethnic group, insisting that individuals involved in banditry can be found across all communities in Nigeria.
“Let’s fight bandits, not people who look like a particular tribe,” he added, urging Nigerians to focus on identifying actual perpetrators rather than profiling based on appearance or cultural identity.
His comments come amid ongoing national conversations around insecurity and ethnic profiling in parts of the country.
