The Thief Who Wasn't

00:00:05: Imagine a room.

00:00:06: The air is thick, hot and smells of damn concrete all sweat.

00:00:12: There's no bed just the shared patch or floor where you sleep shoulder to shoulder with other inmates Waking up every time the man next to you shifts in asleep.

00:00:23: If one person needs to turn over a whole row of men must turned together.

00:00:28: For twelve months this was Usman world.

00:00:33: One day You are part of your community and respected.

00:00:36: The next day, you are in prison defending who really is compared to what people say

00:01:07: armed robbery, kidnapping and all those.

00:01:11: I spent a year in

00:01:11: prison."

00:01:14: A year behind bars charged with the crime you did not commit?

00:01:27: This is The Sahel Untold Stories of Resilience.

00:01:30: My name is Claudia Breitung – I'm a researcher at the Bonn International Center for Conflict Studies, BIC.

00:01:37: Today we travel into a story of misunderstanding & resilience.

00:01:42: We get to know Usman a tall, light-skinned and proud man from the Fulani tribe residing in the Nigerian borderlands.

00:01:50: He is here to tell us his story – In His Own Words.

00:01:54: We will deal with this question.

00:01:56: How did an innocent, self sufficient man become imprisoned under suspicion of being a thief?

00:02:01: A kidnapper!

00:02:02: A murderer?

00:02:04: This question closely connects people who are traditionally pastoralists or semi-pastoralist herders.

00:02:12: They have lived, traveled and grazed their livestock across the Greater Sahel for decades – even centuries.

00:02:19: Woven tightly into the social-and economic fabric of the

00:02:22: region.".

00:02:25: However in recent years….

00:02:26: …the narrative has shifted dramatically.

00:02:29: Today... ...the entire Fulani community finds itself carrying a heavy burden A growing social stigma that associates them with rising regional insecurity and jihadist groups.

00:02:41: We will find more about it in this episode.

00:02:54: A fulani man

00:03:20: does not disclose the number of his livestock.

00:03:23: He won't say, I have this exact number of cattle but we have cattle

00:03:28: sheep

00:03:29: goats and even chickens.

00:03:31: And alongside that...we farm.

00:03:34: We grow such foods like millet sorghum and beans Every year.

00:03:39: we produce all the food we need to feed ourselves.

00:03:42: Whenever we need cash we just take an animal from herd and sell it.

00:03:45: That's our system.

00:03:46: We don't have financial problems at all.

00:03:49: Even if it's a massive expense, doesn't

00:03:51: matter.".

00:03:52: When our father wanted to go on his pilgrimage to Mecca we just took a few head of livestock to the market sold them and it was covered.

00:04:00: This is how we've lived for the past forty years... ...we have everything that needs good life.

00:04:06: The farm we work on spans about two square kilometers And we grow all our own food Storing the harvest in our village silos If there are wedding to celebrate Or someone in desperate need of support.

00:04:18: We open the stores and share what we have, And if it's cash where after?

00:04:22: For a big expense... ...we sell a bowl for something smaller.

00:04:25: A ram or goat handles it.

00:04:31: Usman was not just successful farmer & herdsman He also was a pioneer In his village.

00:04:38: At that time when modern education Was deeply mistrusted he chose to pursue an Education And it completely changed how his community saw him.

00:04:51: Because of my education, I became a scholar in my community.

00:04:56: Over time everyone came to respect me Even the elders.

00:05:00: Eventually i became chief Imam Of The Community.

00:05:05: Whenever there was something To celebrate Like A birth for instance I would be informed because they see Me as a learned man.

00:05:12: You see, back when I first went to school people despised the system.

00:05:16: But after I finished that's when they started to admire

00:05:21: it.

00:05:26: Life went on like this for decades.

00:05:29: Our father passed away We grew up and we started having children of our own.

00:05:35: In all those years no one had ever pointed an accusing finger at me.

00:05:39: To put it simply Nobody in our village knew anything about theft.

00:05:44: Why would they?

00:05:45: Everyone had what they needed to survive, and if someone did fall short the community came to their aid.

00:05:54: Back then life held no real hardship.

00:05:57: Looking back Our only real challenge was a lack of education And at that time people didn't even realize it was a problem.

00:06:05: Apart from that Life is good.

00:06:16: In traditional fulani pastoralist society, it is common to have a large extended family.

00:06:23: For Usman that meant marrying two wives and building a vibrant, busting home.

00:06:28: Between my two wives I have fifteen children now – eleven boys and four girls.

00:06:33: My first wife has eight children And my second wife has seven.

00:06:38: So how did such good life lead to stay in prison and charges of murder & arms robbery?

00:06:46: To really comprehend Usman's story, we need to take a step back and look at where this is all happening.

00:06:52: Northwest Nigeria – A region facing complex challenges today!

00:07:16: Throughout this episode, Oyi will share further light on the ongoing conflict.

00:07:20: A conflict that had brought Usman to prison cell

00:07:25: tied to the soil.

00:07:48: Farmers turned into millets, feed pastoralists moving their cattle with the season but over the last decade this has changed.

00:08:01: first bandit came.

00:08:03: Angus went out of the thick forest reserve sporadically raiding villages stealing cattles and kidnapping for ransom and threatening communities to engage in violence.

00:08:16: The state apparatus stretched across a massive country couldn't even be everywhere at once.

00:08:30: We began noticing unfamiliar faces when we went to the market.

00:08:33: At first, it was just a quiet observation.

00:08:37: But the more observant folks among us started asking questions.

00:08:41: They doubted who these outsiders really were and what they wanted.

00:08:45: Some of our local youths started interacting with them And people became suspicious about that.

00:08:51: A few years passed like this.

00:08:53: Then the cattle rustling began.

00:08:56: Suddenly you'd hear that someone's entire herd had vanished into thin air, no longer to be traced.

00:09:02: That is how it started.

00:09:04: People were wondering what was happening?

00:09:07: When we tried tracing them nothing could be found!

00:09:11: We would gather search parties sending people out in the bush for months at a time desperate for answers but they always came back empty-handed...that is exactly how its started quietly on small scale until everything changed.

00:09:29: These isolated sporadic incidences escalated into a larger security crisis, while the initial events appeared to be random acts of theft The scale of operations soon expanded significantly with armed groups coordinating their attacks affecting entire communities.

00:09:53: One day, word reached us that a neighboring village had been hit.

00:09:57: Their entire livestock supply was gone and worse people have been killed.

00:10:03: It is massive shock to the community.

00:10:06: We gathered to mourn dead completely at loss for how handle this sudden escalation.

00:10:12: This time government notified.

00:10:14: Just as the wrestlers were trying to cross the border into Zamfara State, security forces intercepted them.

00:10:21: In a massive operation they managed to drive back the stolen livestock over two thousand cattle in total.

00:10:28: The herd was brought directly to the Emir's house.

00:10:32: Word went out for anyone who had lost cattle to come forward and They did One by one.

00:10:39: every single person got their livestock

00:10:41: back.

00:10:45: The intensified cattle rustling and worsening security situation made Usman's family wonder whether the home, as they knew it was still a safe place to be.

00:10:56: As relatives from outside of the area urged them to flee the escalating conflict ,the deep connection with their birthplace created profound reluctance

00:11:07: to leave.

00:11:10: Looker community began establishing alternative militant groups to counter the violence.

00:11:17: The emergence of this faction ultimately introduced new complexity and curated significant security challenges for the local population, and false man some desperate committee did what anyone trapped in a security vacuum might do.

00:11:35: they look outside help exactly when a new group stepping through the door.

00:11:43: They call themselves Lackrower, a Minitangia Discope.

00:11:48: At first they looked like a savior... ...they were well-harmed highly organized.

00:11:54: many crossing over the boroughs border from places like... ...Nanmali, Nijie, Binebukina Faso The two local villagers we will protect you from.

00:12:07: The bandits were no one else's way.

00:12:11: And they did push the bandit back, but protection from a meantime group is never for free!

00:12:21: Once Bandits were gone, Lackrower did not leave.

00:12:25: They stayed established in Forest Camp and began forcing their parallel government.

00:12:38: imposing extremist ideology rules over the very people who had invited them in.

00:12:46: According to our analysis, the Lakurawa are exploiting a perfect storm.

00:12:50: It's a mix of geographical or geopolitical vacuum especially after border cooperation broke down following the coup in twenty-three in the neighboring EJ and it is severe lack of economic opportunity for young men in the region.

00:13:09: Think about it from the perspective of a looker youth.

00:13:12: Your livestock has been stolen by bandits and you have no steady income, then an hand group purchase approaches to you.

00:13:21: They don't just offer you weapons they offer massive cash payouts, you know, family dues and agricultural seed... ...they also offer you survival.

00:13:36: This isn't only story about militancy.

00:13:41: As

00:14:06: we continue living, one day an armed group entered our community.

00:14:10: People mentioned a voluntary organization was formed, and what they do is just go around killing any person that identifies their enemy.

00:14:17: Just like that!

00:14:20: When the came through East we started hearing screams so ran away into the bush.

00:14:27: That neighbor of mine was slaughtered by an armed group just like slaughtering animals.

00:14:32: We stayed until attack over in the area again.

00:14:36: The incident brought to Amir along with the name of the person who had been killed.

00:14:41: What did they do?

00:14:42: In response, it was stated that the person killed... ...was suspected of theft.

00:14:47: When questioned about their evidence They stated they didn't have any.

00:14:51: That's how the matter was swept under the carpet.

00:14:53: He was killed because some people mentioned he is a thief.

00:14:57: The

00:15:00: killing of Usman's neighbour based on unverified allegations served as turning point ultimately pushing Usman to contemplate leaving home a place that was no longer safe.

00:15:12: But it never got to that.

00:15:14: Traumatic enough, this is not where Usman's ordeal

00:15:17: ended.".

00:15:20: Local volunteers had been told some of my relatives hadn't seen in the area for three years because they were suspected of being bandits.

00:15:28: The volunteers believed if I were arrested and interrogated I was taken to the police station charged with criminal offenses of different sorts.

00:15:40: I am being accused of genocide, armed robbery, kidnapping and all those... ...I spent a year in

00:15:45: prison.".

00:15:50: Following his arrest, Usman faced a series of severe criminal charges including allegations of armed robbery and kidnapping.

00:15:57: This led to a year-long period while his case slowly proceeded through the legal system.

00:16:06: Unknown

00:16:07: to me, a lot of investigations had been conducted.

00:16:16: There was nothing wrong with my case but I still wasn't released.

00:16:25: Usman although innocent became a scapegoat for something far bigger A crisis which stems from the complex, deeply rooted conflicts surrounding land use, ethnicity and security.

00:16:57: Clashes with crop farmers have increased.

00:17:01: These clashes have escalated from localised disputes, involving steaks and machetes into highly leather confrontation, involving military-grade assault weapons.

00:17:18: Criminal elements are now groups within pastoralised communities in Asia that have fundamentally committed terrible hurt of violence.

00:17:27: And yet, the entire Fulani ethnic group is frequently collectivised and blamed by the broader population.

00:17:34: Especially other ethnic groups like the AUSAS.

00:17:38: for the broader systemic crisis.

00:17:41: it's mostly Fulany who are being accused of joining this group like a laprower.

00:17:49: when people see a Fulanima in their bush or in the bush area with its cattle They often assume he is a bandit.

00:17:58: Villages of vigilante groups may then target him, since his livestock are harassing them.

00:18:05: This broad framing of fulanias responsible for Banditry makes many feel unsafe even in the public spaces like on farms or across streets.

00:18:19: Collective punishment forces, innocent Fulani family to run or flee creating a circle where there are few simultaneously as the sole perpetrators of violence and the primary scapegoat for breakdown in regional security.

00:18:36: Some politicians and community leaders have also leveraged anti-full learning sentiment to deflect from their own governance failure.

00:18:49: You know, framing complex ecological and socioeconomic problems as international or intentional ethnic issues... To make matters worse this group like Lacroix and others especially Bandit.

00:19:05: they exploit these assisting tension to recruit fighters or convince communities to heroically cooperate with them.

00:19:14: They present themselves as potatoes of the marginalized Fulani communities against abusive state military, or rival ethnic self-defense militia.

00:19:24: Why indeed this has drawn an individual from a Fulane descent into disinsurgency?

00:19:30: Majority of Fulany population like Usman rejects

00:19:34: it.

00:19:34: The ideology of this jihadist is often so far away as the beauty of these jihadists' networks.

00:19:55: For Usman, luckily his case could be resolved and after a year in prison he was eventually released.

00:20:05: Among my relatives there's one who has educated knows the law very well... ...the Ministry of Justice and the Commissioner were involved And it was then that I was released.

00:20:16: That was when I evacuated all my family and came here.

00:20:21: Usman moved to the city, but this change of scenery didn't mean a fresh start In his new place.

00:20:28: The deep suspicion against him continued

00:20:31: And where Filani happens to be is being accused.

00:20:34: Yet we too are our people's victims.

00:20:36: We're being relegated down When we come into the City... ...we've been seen as terrorists in the bush.

00:20:42: Our People are hunting us And when we come to the city, We are being accused of terrorism.

00:20:47: So what options do people fulani have?

00:20:51: Why won't one take up arms?

00:20:52: most Of our People who Take Up Arms and Commit Terrorism.

00:20:56: Most of them Do so not because they want To.

00:20:58: It's the people who pushed them to become terrorists.

00:21:01: We as the Fulani will constantly face public accusation and hostility, even ordinary fulani citizens would find themselves subjected to ridicule and insults unable-to speak without being dismissed or demeaned.

00:21:13: Idiot fool!

00:21:18: Being a scapegoat leaves a mark not just on Usman but especially on youth growing up in this difficult environment.

00:21:25: The cycle of conflict often forces individuals into difficult positions where choices appear limited.

00:21:33: I

00:21:33: have known people who cannot hurt a fly, but they were forced to terrorism involuntarily.

00:21:39: They wanted to integrate in the towns and settle down But they faced intense hostility and suspicion Finding it unsafe to stay urban areas.

00:21:48: Some felt that had no choice but return to the bush.

00:22:00: One story that Uthman shares with us is telling, as it depicts how the cycle of violence is deepened by the loss of innocent lives and a lack of public recognition or grief for certain victims.

00:22:17: There were some our boys coming from Sakodo around Shigari And we came through this area.

00:22:23: there was gang of bandits who kidnapped people here.

00:22:27: This happened just three years ago And these boys of ours were on a herding expedition, and they didn't know anything about the kidnapping.

00:22:34: Ten of them... The eldest was fifteen years old.

00:22:38: They went through town.

00:22:40: Now if I asked this guy here to send you video clip what happened with those boys You wouldn't be able to endure viewing it till end.

00:22:47: You would not even sleep.

00:22:49: The matter wasn't captured in social media or news.

00:22:52: The parents lost their children that way.

00:22:55: Nobody talked about It.

00:22:57: Their lives are gone And that's all.

00:23:00: Consider the fact, you have two or three children.

00:23:02: You raise them and somebody just kills them.

00:23:05: There is no sympathy.

00:23:07: People are even happy that evil people supposedly been eliminated.

00:23:12: How would you feel?

00:23:14: That what makes things persist?

00:23:16: It drives people to take up arms To defend themselves.

00:23:20: Once they took up arms for whatever reason They were viewed as a criminal.

00:23:31: Stigmatization like this is exactly what Usman had to go through when he was put into prison for a crime he hadn't committed.

00:23:38: He was jailed for an entire year without ever being charged.

00:23:43: Even after the Ministry of Justice cleared his name, he came home to find his property looted and his family falsely accused Of the very violence that killed their own relatives.

00:23:55: Imagine spending over fifty years knowing no other profession than farming or herding only to suddenly find yourself displaced in the city.

00:24:03: This is really challenging, you will wake up and don't even know where to go!

00:24:08: You can't work as a laborer or have any skill that you know you can practice… none?

00:24:12: What would you

00:24:13: do?!

00:24:13: That's how we live.

00:24:16: Scraping by on odd jobs relying upon kindness of others who are close with us and children having an opening somewhere.

00:24:24: I am considering myself second class citizen.

00:24:27: You are considered a Nigerian, but you don't have any dignity or that would be treated with fairness because you're fulani from the bush.

00:24:38: Despite their hardship, Usman takes comfort in knowing there's kind people who show solidarity to Fulani.

00:24:47: Some see this issue as different perspectives so they still assist and sympathize.

00:24:53: Without such people, all Fulani would have become terrorists.

00:24:57: But some people are understanding and they're assisting.

00:25:02: I can even recall when we initially arrived here someone gave us a place to stay.

00:25:06: This is great leap for us.

00:25:13: Solidarity like this keeps Usman going.

00:25:16: While relocating the city was painful experience he also sees it as a blessing particularly for his children.

00:25:28: To be honest, this has been a painful experience but in a way I think it will turn out to be a blessing because we moved

00:25:36: here.

00:25:37: all of my Children are now enrolled school.

00:25:40: some have already finished secondary School and others still studying.

00:25:44: so you see even if i lost everything My Children are gaining.

00:25:49: the relocation wasn't something We wanted But if these children get an education, their lives will improve and the next generation is saved.

00:25:58: Before this we only dreamed of getting them in education.

00:26:01: now they are receiving it.

00:26:04: Of course its still a struggle.

00:26:06: Government schools aren't what they should be so we must rely on private schooling which costs money.

00:26:13: We survive by having older children work to help pay for younger siblings doing whatever we

00:26:20: can.

00:26:24: Usman has finally made peace with his situation.

00:26:28: In everyday conversation, His voice is soft and measured but when he speaks about the challenges facing his community something shifts.

00:26:38: He becomes firm confident And unmistakably clear!

00:26:43: He carries traditions with him deeply rooted in values & social norms of people.

00:26:49: at same time He represents a more modern fulani elite, educated outward looking and comfortable navigating different worlds.

00:27:02: If it were up to Isman to solve the ongoing crisis in Nigerian's northwestern region you would look beyond immediate symptoms and understand its root causes.

00:27:13: From my experience if governmental or non-governmental organizations dig deep into the genesis of this issue Let them dig and identify when or what is the genesis of this problem.

00:27:25: When did it start in Northern Nigeria?

00:27:28: How long has that

00:27:29: been?

00:27:29: And why not for so many years back, hundreds of years!

00:27:33: Why have the Fulani not engaged in

00:27:35: violence?!

00:27:36: Why haven't they taken arms to kill or kidnap people... ...and asked for

00:27:39: ransom?!

00:27:41: Why hasn't they attacked people in towns… …and killed them over the past ten-twenty

00:27:45: years!?

00:27:50: It's a common critique in policy circles that comprehensive security analysis rarely aligns with the fast-paced demands of politics.

00:27:58: Too often, political systems lean toward immediate highly visible fixes like boosting defence budgets or relying on heavy counterterrorism rhetoric rather than tackling deeply rooted complexities of crisis.

00:28:14: History shows Heavy-handed military operations alone cannot resolve the conflict in northwest and north-central Nigeria.

00:28:22: To truly understand, and to resolve this conflict moving past immediate security symptoms and addressing deep seated root causes of the lakwara insurgency and banditry activities is essential.

00:28:35: At the heart of our discussion are so called fulani question

00:28:39: that

00:28:39: we have dealt with on this episode A complex mix of economic, social and political grievances that have left Fulani communities vulnerable to recruitment by armed groups.

00:28:55: Crucially resolving the crisis also means directly confronting —and dismantling—the widespread stigmatization of the Fulane people.

00:29:08: Before we sign off I would like say special thanks for Usman sharing his personal account with us And our colleague Mustafa for his invaluable help in gathering today's interview.

00:29:20: Thank you for listening to this episode of The Sahel Untold, until next time!