Members of the Hausa community in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Wednesday staged a protest against what they described as ethnic profiling and stigmatization following recent kidnapping incidents in the state.
The demonstrators expressed concern over what they alleged was the growing tendency to associate members of their ethnic group with criminal activities, particularly kidnapping, without evidence.
The protest comes weeks after the abduction of 46 pupils and teachers in a coordinated attack on three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, an incident that heightened security concerns across the state.
Carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs, the protesters called on residents and authorities to avoid generalising criminal acts based on ethnicity, insisting that the actions of a few individuals should not be used to label an entire community.
They maintained that the Hausa community in Ibadan has lived peacefully with other ethnic groups for decades and has continued to contribute positively to the social and economic development of the state.
The protesters urged security agencies to focus on identifying and prosecuting criminals irrespective of their ethnic background, while also calling for greater unity and cooperation among residents.
They warned that ethnic profiling could fuel division and undermine efforts to address the security challenges facing the state and the country at large.
The demonstration remained peaceful, with participants appealing for fairness, justice and peaceful coexistence among all ethnic groups in Oyo State.
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