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.
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, even though 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.
“It’s unlawful to advocate for mass removal of Nigerians from parts of their own country. That’s hate speech. Fani-Kayode was Minister in Nigeria responsible for civil aviation. He’s a senior lawyer. This article of his is a crime. I propose to formally complain to the Nigerian Police Force about this article. We should encourage free expression not hate speech.”
