Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Arewa Consultative Forum has condemned the alleged arrest, ethnic profiling and threatened deportation of some northern women by operatives of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, popularly known as Amotekun, describing the action as unconstitutional, discriminatory and a threat to Nigeria’s unity.
In a statement issued by its Board of Trustees Chairman, Alhaji Bashir M. Dalhatu, on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, the apex northern socio‑cultural organisation expressed deep concern over a widely circulated video allegedly showing Amotekun operatives arresting, profiling and publicly parading a group of women identified as Hausa/Fulani northerners residing and carrying out lawful activities in Ondo State. The forum said if the incident was accurately represented, it amounted to a violation of the constitutional rights of Nigerian citizens and posed a serious threat to national cohesion.
The ACF stressed that the Nigerian Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to move freely, reside and conduct lawful activities in any part of the country without discrimination based on ethnicity, religion, language or place of birth. It further noted that no state government, security outfit or local authority has the legal power to deport Nigerian citizens from one part of the federation to another. "There is no provision under Nigerian law that empowers any state government, security outfit or local authority to deport Nigerian citizens from one part of the federation to another. Every Nigerian has an equal stake in every part of Nigeria," the statement read.
The forum expressed particular concern that the affected individuals were women engaged in ordinary economic and social activities, describing their public humiliation based on ethnic profiling as unacceptable in a democratic society. "The public humiliation of law-abiding citizens based on ethnic profiling and guilt by association is unacceptable in a democratic society and must be rejected by all Nigerians of goodwill," the ACF said.
While acknowledging the security challenges confronting many states, the ACF maintained that criminality must be fought through lawful investigation, credible intelligence gathering and evidence‑based law enforcement, rather than through ethnic profiling or collective punishment of communities. "Entire communities cannot be criminalised because of the actions of a few individuals. To do so is unjust, counterproductive and a direct invitation to ethnic tension," the statement added.
The forum warned that such actions could heighten ethnic tensions and undermine national cohesion, especially at a time when Nigeria is striving to strengthen unity and address multiple security challenges. It noted that thousands of citizens from Ondo State and the wider South‑West live and do business peacefully in northern Nigeria, stressing the need to preserve longstanding traditions of mutual coexistence.
The ACF called on the Ondo State Government to investigate the incident, publicly clarify the circumstances surrounding the operation and sanction any officials found to have acted outside the law. It also urged the Federal Government, security agencies and the National Human Rights Commission to examine the matter and ensure that the constitutional rights of the affected women are protected. The forum further noted that the incident had reignited concerns about the proposed establishment of state police, arguing that stronger constitutional and institutional safeguards were necessary to prevent abuse of power and ethnic discrimination.
“Nigeria belongs equally to all Nigerians. No citizen should ever be treated as an alien in his or her own country,” the ACF declared.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com ✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments