According to the Country Director of the Commission, Amb Abdullahi Bakoji Adamu, Following consultations and fact-finding engagements conducted by IHRC-RFT with pastoralist communities across different parts of Nigeria, many respondents stated that they are not leaving the country voluntarily. They attributed their migration to the shortage of grazing reserves and stock routes, insecurity, attacks by armed criminal groups and kidnappers, cattle rustling, harassment by some authorities and communities, and the increasing tendency to associate the entire pastoralist community with the crimes committed by a small number of individuals.
IHRC-RFT Nigeria is also concerned about the widespread stereotyping of the Fulani community as criminals because of the actions of a few offenders. The Fulani are one of Nigeria's largest ethnic communities, numbering in the millions, and they are themselves among the primary victims of armed violence, including killings, kidnappings, cattle rustling, and the destruction of their livelihoods. Holding an entire community responsible for the crimes of a few is unjust and only fuels discrimination, mistrust, and social division.
IHRC-RFT Nigeria therefore calls on the Federal Government and State Governments to take urgent measures to improve security, protect the rights of every Nigerian without discrimination, restore and preserve the legally recognized grazing reserves and stock routes that pastoralists have relied upon for generations, and strengthen peaceful coexistence among communities. We further caution that the continued migration of pastoralists and their livestock could have serious consequences for Nigeria's economy, particularly the livestock sector, meat and dairy production, and national food security.
This appeal is consistent with Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which guarantees freedom of movement, as well as Sections 41 and 42 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), which guarantee every citizen's right to freedom of movement and residence throughout Nigeria and prohibit discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity, origin, or other status.
IHRC-RFT Nigeria remains committed to working with government institutions, communities, and other stakeholders to promote human rights, peaceful coexistence, and sustainable solutions to the challenges affecting pastoralists and all Nigerians.
