Abuja— A faith-based human rights advocacy group, Nomadic Rights Concern, NORIC, has described Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, as a presidential material, commending him for what it called his courageous and honest comment about the perpetrators of insecurity in the South-East.

The group, in a statement issued in Abuja by its Chairman, Professor Umar Muhammad Labdo, said Governor Soludo’s recent declaration that most kidnappers and violent criminals in Anambra are Igbos has “demystified the myth of the Fulani criminal.”

Governor Soludo made the remark during an interactive town hall meeting with Anambra indigenes in the Diaspora, held at Metro Points Hotel, New Carrollton, Maryland, USA.

He had said: “99.99 per cent of kidnappers and other criminals arrested in the state since I assumed office three years ago have been Igbos.”

Reacting, NORIC described the governor’s stance as “a landmark and an eye-opener,” urging other leaders in the South-East to emulate him by speaking the truth, no matter how uncomfortable.

“We give kudos to Governor Soludo for this honest assertion. It is bold, deep, and far-reaching,” the statement read.

“By refusing to dance to the gallery and for hitting the nail on the head without caring whose ox is gored, Soludo has proved that he is a Nigerian president-in-waiting.

“His courage has demystified the long-standing myth that all violent crimes in the South-East are perpetrated by Fulanis. Crime has no ethnicity or religion, and criminals exist in every part of the country. Many Southerners have been misled into believing otherwise, and Soludo’s remark helps to correct that misperception.”

The group urged governors, traditional rulers and opinion leaders in the South-East to speak with similar sincerity.

According to NORIC, “We must reject stereotypes and stop viewing our fellow citizens through the lens of tribe or religion. What we owe one another as Nigerians is love, openness, and truth.”

It added that Governor Soludo, a former Central Bank Governor and respected economist, has continued to show leadership by being blunt and forthright, particularly on sensitive issues.

“This is the kind of leadership Nigeria needs in Aso Rock. Soludo is a completely detribalised Nigerian who speaks the truth to his people and refuses to listen to sycophants.

“We urge the Igbo to rally around this man, not ridicule him. The South-East is in dire need of a leader who commands respect beyond the region. Soludo is already earning that respect—through governance and courage,” the statement added.

NORIC further appealed to Nigerians, especially in the South, to eschew what it described as “anti-Fulani prejudice,” urging citizens to look beyond ethnicity and allow facts to shape their opinions.

“We must reflect on the dangerous consequences of profiling innocent men and women simply because of their tribe or religion. Let us allow reason, not emotion or propaganda, to dictate our actions,” the group added.

NORIC is a faith-based advocacy organization known for promoting peace, interethnic tolerance, and nomadic rights across Nigeria.