Crime Has No Ethnicity, Obi Warns in Unity Appeal

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has cautioned against the growing tendency to associate criminal activity with specific ethnic groups in Nigeria, saying such narratives undermine national unity and justice.

Obi said he has personally experienced ethnic stereotyping and noted that many Nigerians have also been unfairly judged based on their ethnic identity rather than their individual actions.

“Most Nigerians have, at some point, been reduced to their ethnicity rather than recognised for their true character,” he said.

He said linking crime to ethnicity unfairly stigmatizes innocent people, including communities often blamed for the actions of criminals they neither know nor support.

“Crime has no ethnicity. A thief is a thief. A terrorist is a terrorist. A kidnapper is a kidnapper,” Obi stated, adding that offenders should be treated strictly as individuals under the law.

The former governor drew a parallel with global civil rights struggles, referencing calls for equality and fairness in human judgment as a universal principle against discrimination.

Obi urged Nigerians to reject divisive narratives, insisting that such practices fuel hatred and weaken national cohesion.

“We must decisively abandon the dangerous practice of blaming entire ethnic groups for the actions of a few criminals,” he warned.

He encouraged citizens to focus on shared values and national unity while celebrating Nigeria’s cultural diversity, rather than allowing stereotypes to define inter-ethnic relations.

“A new Nigeria is within our reach,” he added.

Crime Has No Ethnicity, Obi Warns in Unity AppealThe statement comes amid ongoing public debates over security challenges and concerns about ethnic profiling in national discourse.