NHRC Chairman Slams Fani-Kayode Over Fulani Hate Speech

Femi-Fani-Kayode

Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Prof. Chidi Odinkalu has condemned former 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, Chief Olu Falae, as East African tse-tse fly, locust and leeches.

“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.,” Odinkalu wrote via his official Twitter account.

“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,” Odinkalu tweeted.

Fani-Kayode had in the article posted September 29, on his Facebook page, condemned the abduction of Chief Falae from his hometown, 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.