*Photo: Halima Imam*
The journey toward national stability often begins not on the battlefield, but in the quiet, deliberate spaces where ideas are forged.
On the 10th of February, 2026, I found myself sitting before a glowing screen, a participant in a virtual conference that promised to be more than just another talk shop. Titled “Contextualizing Definitions and Terminologies to Address Stereotyping and Ethnic Profiling in West Africa,” the event was a groundbreaking collaboration between the Whiteink Institute for Strategy, Education and Research (WISER) Nigeria and Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited (BSIL).
Supported by the Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria (SPRiNG) programme through Tetra Tech, the session tackled a rot that has quietly eaten deep into the fabric of our national discourse: the ethnicization of crime.
As I listened to the speakers, I felt a familiar surge of passion. For years, as a civilian observer with a deep-seated respect and passion for the Nigerian military, I have watched how the words we use in the media and in our homes complicate the work of our men and women in uniform. I realized then that this conversation could not remain confined to a Zoom room. It needed the reach of the airwaves. This led me to reach out to the WISER/BSIL team, inviting them to my show, “A Salute to Service,” on the Armed Forces Radio. My goal was simple: to bridge the gap between academic intelligence and the boots on the ground who deal with the consequences of our labels every single day.
When the feature finally went live, my guest was Idris, a brilliant Security Intelligence Analyst from the BSIL team. Idris possesses that rare quality of being able to dissect complex security data while maintaining a deep empathy for the human lives behind the statistics. From the moment the “On Air” light flickered red, Idris took our listeners on a sobering journey.
He didn’t start with numbers or maps; he started with the psychological weight of a name. He explained that in the North Central and North West regions of Nigeria, zones currently grappling with immense instability, the terminology used to describe perpetrators is often as lethal as the weapons they carry. When we lean on lazy descriptors like “Fulani Bandits” or “Tiv Militia,” we aren’t just identifying a threat; we are painting a bullseye on the backs of millions of innocent citizens who happen to share a dialect or a lineage with a criminal.
He was firm: “When you attach an ethnic tag to a crime, you provide an unintentional gift to the criminal.” He argued that by labeling a group by its tribe, we inadvertently validate the criminal’s claim that they are “defending their people.” A bandit is a bandit, but a “Fulani Bandit” is a protagonist in a tribal war. This narrative shift makes it harder for the military to gain the trust of local communities. Why would a community member share intelligence with a soldier if they feel the state views their entire ethnicity as the enemy?
The project led by WISER and BSIL seeks to dismantle this. Idris said the team have proffered a set of brilliant alternatives that shift the focus from who the person is by birth to what the person is doing by choice. These alternatives are not just “politically correct”; they are strategically vital for accurate intelligence and social cohesion.
Instead of using the divisive term “Fulani Bandits,” they suggests we utilize Armed Bandits, Criminal Syndicates, or Terror-Groups, which places the focus squarely on the illegal activity and prevents the radicalization of innocent kinsmen who might otherwise feel persecuted.
Similarly, terms like “Tiv Militia” or “Jukun Militia” should be retired in favor of Communal Armed Groups (CAGs), Non-State Armed Actors, or Ethnic Vigilantes, highlighting the illegal nature of the group without indicting the entire ethnic group. Even the ubiquitous “Herder-Farmer Clash” needs a makeover; by calling these incidents Resource-based Conflicts or Land-Use Disputes, we identify the actual root causes, land and water, rather than the identities of the combatants. Finally, the romanticized “Ethnic Militant” should be strictly referred to as an Armed Insurgent or Violent Extremist, removing the “warrior” status often associated with ethnic defense.
I however still posed a question that often circulates in Nigerian social and political quarters. The argument is this: “If we can call a group ‘Tiv Christians’ and it is seen as a positive, identifying label that doesn’t make every Tiv person feel targeted, why is it so damaging to say ‘Tiv Militia’? If you aren’t a member of the militia, why feel offended?”
The response was a masterclass in social psychology. He argued that there is a fundamental difference between a functional descriptor and a criminal indictment. Labels like “Christian,” “Doctor,” or “Farmer” are based on chosen associations or professions. They are aspirational. Most importantly, they do not trigger state-led kinetic operations or societal fear.
However, when you use a term like “Tiv Militia,” you are creating a collective criminal identity. In a country where security forces are already stretched thin and under high pressure, these labels lead to “ethnic profiling” at checkpoints and “guilt by association” in the eyes of the law. You cannot “accidentally” profile someone for being a Christian in the same way you can profile them for their physical features or language when that language has been tied to a “militia” tag. This selective logic ignores the reality that negative labels have the power to disenfranchise and dehumanize, whereas positive labels do not carry the same systemic risk.
The work being done by the Whiteink Institute for Strategy, Education and Research (WISER) and Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited (BSIL) is more than just a media campaign; it is a vital intervention in national security. By retraining our brains to decouple ethnicity from criminality, they are stripping the “social oxygen” away from the insurgents. This project, made possible by SPRiNG TETRATECH, is finally addressing the “narrative” pillar of the National Counter Terrorism Strategy.
It is highly encouraging to note that this isn’t a lonely struggle. The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), and the Minister of Information have already shown leadership by keying into this project. Their endorsement sends a powerful message: the Nigerian State is beginning to recognize that words are ammunition.
However, for this initiative to move from a “project” to a “policy,” the Federal and State Governments must be more intentional. We need the National Assembly to take up the mantle. There should be legislative frameworks that discourage the use of ethnic identifiers in official government and security communiqués. When a Governor or a Senator refers to a group by their ethnicity in a moment of crisis, they are pouring petrol on a smoldering fire.
We must move toward a standardized reporting format where a crime is described by its nature and severity, not by the genealogy of the perpetrator. This is how we protect the innocent and isolate the criminal.
To ensure this laudable initiative reaches every corner of the Federation, I believe the following organizations must urgently collaborate with WISER and BSIL:
National Orientation Agency (NOA) should get invoved to translate these new terminologies into local languages and lead a “Change Begins with Me” campaign focused on linguistic peacebuilding. The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), to hold workshops for crime reporters and editors on the dangers of “ethnic clickbait” headlines. National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), to integrate these terminologies into the broadcasting code, especially for news and current affairs programs. Police and Military Intelligence Schools, to incorporate “Contextualized Definitions” into the curriculum of every new recruit and officer. National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), to monitor and report instances of ethnic profiling that stem from improper labeling in the media.
As we wrapped up our session on Armed Forces Radio, the phone lines were buzzing with callers, many of them serving personnel, expressing relief that someone was finally speaking this truth. As a guest on my show, Idris didn’t just give us facts; he gave us a mirror.
Nigeria is at a crossroads. We can continue down the path of lazy labels that divide us, or we can choose the path of “strategic precision.” If we want to truly honor the service of our military, we must give them a clear enemy to fight, not a whole tribe to manage. I salute the WISER/BSIL team for their courage and SPRiNG TETRATECH for their foresight. It is time to change the way we talk, so we can finally change the way we live.