A Fulani man made a viral clip rejecting terrorist labeling, urging people to separate criminals from an entire tribe. Rather than listen, a comment pushed a damaging stereotype: “If you see Fulani man and no comb for him hand, hold am, na bandit.”
This kind of profiling is dangerous. Reducing a whole ethnic group to exaggerated symbols like combs—then tying it to crime detection—normalizes bias and encourages harassment of innocent people. Security awareness is vital, but real safety work relies on intelligence, evidence, and lawful reporting to the Nigeria Police Force, not ethnic guesswork.
When we turn tribal identity into a joke-based “suspect checklist,” we create fear, tension, community vigilantism, and rising extremism. Bandits don’t wear combs as ID cards.
The red flag? Ethnic alarms that blur justice with prejudice. Hold criminals accountable, but keep tribes out of stereotypes.
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