News that the EFCC arrested herbalists in Osun State with $3.4 million and €280,000 in counterfeit notes sparked widespread reactions online. Among them, one comment stood out for its toxicity: “Dat tribe na their work nothing more.” This response is deeply insensitive and dangerous. It takes an alleged crime involving specific individuals and assigns it to an entire ethnic group. Crime has no tribe, culture, or identity; criminals exist across all communities. Such statements promote ethnic profiling, prejudice, and division, shifting focus away from accountability and due process. Condemning crime is necessary, but weaponizing it to stigmatize a whole group only fuels hatred and undermines social cohesion. Justice should target offenders—not entire tribes.
