NHRC to Fani-Kayode: Describing Fulani herdsmen as tse-tse fly is hate speech

Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), on Wednesday, condemned erstwhile Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, over his recent widely circulated article titled: ‘The herdsmen from hell,’ where he (Fani-Kayode) described the suspected Fulani herdsmen, who recently kidnapped the former Secretary to Government of the Federation (SSG), Chief Olu Falae, as East African tse-tse fly, locust and leeches.

Chairman NHRC, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu

Fani-Kayode had in the article posted September 29, on his Facebook page, condemned the abduction of the elder statesman and June 12 struggle hero, Chief Falae, from his home-town, in Ondo State, by a group of Fulani herdsmen, stating that it was time to seriously consider the expulsion of all Fulani herdsmen from the southern part of Nigeria.

However, irked by the former minister’s article, Chairman of the NHRC, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu in a tweet via his official Twitter handle, @chairmanNHRC said, eventhough Chief Falae’s abduction was a crime, to make that basis of a campaign against a race as done by Fani-Kayode is hate speech.

Odinkalu said: “Chief Olu Falae’s abduction is a crime, but to make that basis of a campaign against a race as Femi Fani-Kayode did is hate speech. It’s hate speech to leave individual responsibility and describe a race as tse-tse fly, locust, leeches, etc.”