The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has condemned ethnic profiling allegations involving operatives of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, known as Amotekun, over the reported arrest and threatened deportation of some Northern women in Ondo State. The Forum described the alleged actions as unconstitutional, discriminatory, and potentially harmful to national unity. It called for an investigation into the incident and urged authorities to safeguard the constitutional rights of all citizens.
The controversy follows the circulation of a viral video that allegedly showed Amotekun operatives arresting, profiling, and publicly parading women identified as Hausa/Fulani residents engaged in lawful activities in Ondo State. The incident has generated public discussion about citizens’ rights, freedom of movement, and the conduct of security agencies operating at the state level.
In a statement issued by its Board of Trustees Chairman, Alhaji Bashir M. Dalhatu, the ACF said it was deeply concerned by the reports and warned that actions perceived as ethnic profiling allegations could undermine national cohesion if not properly addressed.
According to the Forum, if the incident was accurately represented in the viral footage, it would constitute a violation of rights guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The statement said: “No agency of government, whether federal, state or local, possesses the legal authority to treat citizens as strangers in their own country simply because they belong to a particular ethnic group.” The ACF maintained that every Nigerian has the right to freedom of movement, residence, and lawful economic activity anywhere in the country, irrespective of ethnicity, religion, language, or place of origin.
Addressing reports that the women were threatened with deportation, the Forum stated: “Every Nigerian has an equal stake in every part of Nigeria and enjoys constitutionally protected rights wherever he or she chooses to live and work.”
The Forum also argued that security concerns should be addressed through intelligence gathering and lawful investigations rather than ethnic profiling allegations or collective suspicion directed at entire communities.
The development has renewed debate about balancing security operations with constitutional protections. The ACF warned that criminalising communities based on the actions of a few individuals could heighten ethnic tensions and weaken efforts to promote national integration.
The Forum also expressed concern that the affected individuals were women involved in ordinary economic activities, describing their alleged public treatment as unacceptable in a democratic society. It noted that citizens from Ondo State and other South-West states live and work across Northern Nigeria, stressing the importance of preserving mutual coexistence.
The ACF called on the Ondo State Government to investigate the incident, clarify the circumstances surrounding the allegations, and sanction any officials found culpable. It also urged the Federal Government, security agencies, and the National Human Rights Commission to intervene and ensure that the rights of the affected individuals are protected.
The Forum further stated that the incident raises questions about oversight mechanisms for state-backed security outfits, emphasizing that Nigeria belongs equally to all citizens and that no Nigerian should be treated as a stranger in any part of the country.
