Former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode has declared that the long-held belief that Northerners are responsible for terrorism and kidnappings in Nigeria’s Southeast region is no longer valid.
His statement came in response to recent remarks by Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo, who asserted that 99.9% of kidnappings and violent crimes in the Southeast are committed by Igbos, not Fulanis or other Northern groups.
Governor Soludo made the revelation during a town hall meeting with Anambra indigenes in Maryland, United States. His comments directly contradict claims by separatist groups like the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its security arm, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), which have consistently blamed Fulani herdsmen for most security challenges in the region. These groups had alleged that armed Northern herders use forests as hideouts to launch attacks on Southeast communities.
Fani-Kayode, reacting via his X (formerly Twitter) account, welcomed Soludo’s position as a truth that finally dispels what he called a “false narrative.”
He wrote: “Gov. Charles Soludo of Anambra state has said that 99.9% of killings and kidnappings that take place in the East are perpetuated by Igbos and not Fulanis. I guess that the false narrative that Northerners are responsible for all the terrorism in the East is finally dead and buried. Thanks be to God.”
The former minister’s statement adds a new dimension to ongoing debates about the true perpetrators of insecurity in the Southeast. While ethnic tensions have often shaped security discussions in Nigeria,
Soludo’s revelation and Fani-Kayode’s endorsement suggest a need to reevaluate assumptions about regional violence. The development may influence future security strategies and inter-ethnic relations in the country.
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cc: Daily Post Ng
