‘We Are Not Bandits’ – Ibadan Hausa Community Protest Alleged Ethnic Profiling Over Oyo Kidnappings

Some members of the Hausa community in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, staged a protest against what they described as ethnic profiling and stigmatisation following recent kidnapping incidents in the state.

The protesters said they were worried that members of their community were being unfairly linked to criminal activities because of their ethnic background.

Naija News reports that the protest came a few weeks after the abduction of 46 pupils and teachers during a coordinated attack on three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of the state.

The incident had heightened security concerns across Oyo State, with residents and community leaders calling for stronger action against kidnapping and other violent crimes.

The Hausa residents, who marched in Ibadan, said it was wrong to blame an entire ethnic group for the actions of criminals.

They argued that kidnapping and other forms of insecurity should be treated as criminal matters rather than ethnic issues.

According to them, members of the Hausa community in the state are law-abiding residents who have lived peacefully with other groups in Ibadan and other parts of Oyo State for years.

They appealed to the government, security agencies and the public to avoid statements and actions capable of creating division among residents.

The protesters also called for fairness in the handling of security matters, insisting that anyone found guilty of a crime should be arrested and prosecuted as an individual, not as a representative of any ethnic group.

See more photos from the protest below.

They maintained that insecurity affects all residents, regardless of tribe or religion, and should be tackled through intelligence-led policing, community cooperation and prosecution of offenders.

They also appealed to residents of Oyo State to continue to promote peaceful coexistence while supporting security agencies with useful information that could help prevent further attacks.

The protest followed growing tension after the abduction of 46 pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area.

The victims were reportedly taken during a coordinated attack on three schools, a development that sparked fear among parents, teachers and residents of the affected communities.

The incident also renewed public concern over the safety of schools in parts of the state, especially in rural communities.

Security agencies and government authorities have since come under pressure to improve surveillance, intelligence gathering and rapid response to attacks on schools and communities.

Meanwhile, popular controversial Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, dismissed criticisms over his visit to Ibadan late last year.

Gumi, in a post on his Facebook page on Tuesday, said his visit to the Oyo State capital had been wrongly linked to what he described as “dirty local politics” in the South-West.

The cleric had faced criticism in some quarters following allegations that the visit was part of an attempt to promote northern Islamic ideologies and Islamise Oyo State.

Reacting to the controversy, Gumi said he was not invited to Ibadan by any Muslim individual or group in the South-West.

He explained that he attended the event as a representative of northern Islamic scholars.

“I quite understand now how Islamophobia is shaping politics in SW (South-West) and why I was unnecessarily dragged into their dirty local politics,” he wrote.

“I was in Ibadan, not by the invitation of any SW Muslim individual or group, but as a representative of the Coalition of Northern Muslim Ulama.

“Can anybody stop me from going anywhere in Nigeria?”