The Governorship Candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Cross River, Barr Eyo Ekpo has condemned the continued labelling of Fulani people as herdsmen, bandits or referring to them by other derogatory names.
Speaking with thedabigal via phone Ekpo lamented such name-calling, saying that crimes are committed everywhere including in the south-south and other places.
“If you ask me about the state of terrorism kidnapping across the country, the federal and the state governments should come together, real quick before this country dissolves into lawlessness.
“And it has nothing to do with Fulanis or Hausas, it is just plain criminality and it should stop or be put under control, We have an unusual state of affairs where we make efforts to identify some people with certain names.
“This is a distraction and we cannot claim that a particular group is responsible for what is happening. Terrorism, banditry, kidnapping should not be tagged on a particular group.
According to him, It is very very wrong to attach such names to a group, Some of the alleged crimes committed in the creeks of Cross River State, we don’t call them Efik pirates, we don’t call them Quas pirates or Ejagham pirates.
“We know people in the Niger Delta, we don’t call them Isekiri bandit, Irohbo bandit, we don’t do that. Why did we label people as Fulani Herdsmen? Are they herdsmen, and even if they are herdsmen, what is the relevance to the fact that crimes are committed
“If you ask me about the state of terrorism, kidnapping across the country that the Federal and the State Government should come together, real quick before this country dissolves into lawlessness and it has nothing to do with Fulanis or Hausas. It is just plain criminality and it should stop or be put under control” he pleaded