Background of the Incident. Over to you Bandits sympathizer, Prof Usman Yusuf

Background of the Incident. Over to you Bandits sympathizer, Prof Usman Yusuf 🤔

On 15 November 2023, Professor Usman Yusuf appeared live on DCL Hausa for about three hours, during which he made several controversial statements that many people interpreted as sympathy toward Fulani bandits. Unfortunately, nearly two years later, the video has now been deleted, resulting in the loss of what we consider a very important piece of evidence.

Although the full video is no longer available, many of his statements are still remembered. From 16 November onward, we began documenting and posting what we could accurately recall.

His Position on Vigilante Groups (Yan Banga)

Professor Usman Yusuf, a Fulani, strongly opposed the establishment of Yan Banga (local vigilante groups). He openly criticized the killing of an alleged informant and insisted that vigilantes do not have the authority to kill Fulani bandits who attack communities. According to him, vigilantes should only arrest suspects and hand them over to government authorities.

Response to This Narrative

We reject this argument. Those who oppose fighting Fulani bandits often hide behind the claim that there are Hausa informants within communities. We therefore call on Yan Banga to continue their work.

Anyone found guilty of acting as an informant should be handed over to the authorities regardless of ethnicity, whether Hausa or otherwise. Anyone who chooses to serve as an informant knowingly accepts the consequences of that decision.

In reality, once an informant is exposed, only their body is usually recovered.

If Fulani leaders truly claim innocence and sincerity and are not being hypocritical then they should also establish vigilante groups in Northwestern Nigeria and Niger State to confront banditry in those areas.

A Dangerous Logic

Professor Usman Yusuf repeatedly stated:

«“Let the vigilantes go into the forest and kill bandits. Let the bandits come into towns and kill civilians. When the army arrives, who exactly will it fight?”»

He repeated this statement several times.

What does this imply?

It suggests that the weapons used by bandits such as Bello Turji to kill innocent civilians are being portrayed not as terrorism, but as self-defense. Otherwise, why would he imply that soldiers would not know who to fight?

Indirectly, this narrative reduces both Yan Sakai and bandits like Bello Turji to mere “targets” of the Nigerian government nothing more.

Contradictions and Hypocrisy

Throughout the discussion, Professor Usman Yusuf insisted that vigilantes have no right to kill Fulani bandits, yet he failed to clearly and forcefully condemn the bandits themselves. He even stated that he intended to visit the bandits alongside Dr. Ahmad Gumi.

He openly declared that he does not support military action against Fulani bandits and that dialogue and negotiation are the only solutions.

Critical Question

My response is simple:

«Professor, if dialogue is the solution, what exactly should be done with the bandits?»

Disappointment Over the Deleted Video

We are deeply saddened that DCL Hausa deleted the video. The live broadcast lasted three hours, which is why we did not immediately download it. We never imagined it would be removed, especially since it had remained available for over a year.

Its deletion has caused us a huge loss of evidence.

Additional Context: Buhari, Dikko Radda, and Allegations of Bias

Professor Usman Yusuf also stated that he was angered by former President Buhari’s presence at the inauguration of Yan Sakai, an event organized by Governor Dikko Radda. According to him, “We do not want war with bandits; we want dialogue, and dialogue must take place.”

Around the same period, Governor Dikko Radda revealed that some powerful Fulani elites accused him of establishing Yan Banga in order to kill their fellow Fulani. In response, an angry Dikko Radda stated that although he himself is Fulani, he is fighting bandits not Fulani as an ethnic group.

Professor Usman Yusuf then accused Dikko Radda of ethnic bias, alleging that he recruited Yan Sakai mainly from the Hausa population while excluding Fulani.

Link for Video Evidence 😭

Final Reflection

Former President Buhari’s involvement in inaugurating Yan Sakai raised serious concerns. Calls for “peace talks” with Fulani bandits, while restricting vigilantes from defending themselves even when attacked are deeply troubling.

However, we believe that God will ultimately expose the truth. The more they speak, the more they reveal themselves.

There is God, and He will deliver justice to the Hausa people.