*Gov Makinde tells CP: Treat those stoking ethnic tension as common criminals…
By Abiola Olawale
The Yoruba Council of Youths and Women Worldwide (Igbimo Apapo Yoruba Lagbaye),a Yoruba socio-political and cultural group has urged the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, to “thread softly” over an order he reportedly issued for the arrest of O’odua activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Igboho.
This was contained in a statement made available to The New Diplomat on Saturday, by the President of the Yoruba group, Oladotun Hassan.
The group which appealed to the IGP over his reported directive to the effect that Igboho be arrested for allegedly telling herders in Ibarapa to vacate the area, among other issues. This development had led to tension in the affected community and in Oyo State in general.
The Yoruba group further stated that should the Police leadership insist on arresting Igboho, they won’t hesitate to commence legal action to protect his fundamental human rights.
This is coming against the background of directive by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Ngozi Onadeko, to arrest and treat like common criminals those fueling ethnic tension and fanning the embers of crisis in Oyo state.
Meanwhile, the statement by the Yoruba Coalition reads as follows: “We use this medium to caution the IGP to thread softly on the call to the CP Oyo State for the arrest of Chief Igboho, considering the hydra headed nature of the Crises, which is more positively driven than criminal intentions…We call on…the Inspector General of Police to immediately swing into full action towards ending another imminent rounds of insurgency in the southwest, having ravaged the North for many decades till date. However, if we noticed further persistent call for the arrest of Chief Sunday Adeyemo Igboho, we shall not hesitate strict legal action for the protection of his fundamental rights at a court of competent jurisdiction forthwith.”
The group also appealed to the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, to engage in a peaceful dialogue in order to iron out the misunderstanding between the Governor and Igboho. Following a reported case of dispute between Makinde and Igboho over the ultimatum reportedly given to the herders of Ibarapa to vacate the town by the latter, the Yoruba coalition appealed to the state government to settle the misunderstanding amicably.
“We equally call for a peaceful amicable dialogue between the Oyo State Government under the amiable leadership of Engr. Seyi Makinde and Chief Sunday Igboho on the recent cracks in the wall of understanding, precipitating the urgent need for stringent synergy on information and intelligent sharing, hence no better time to act than now,” the statement added.
The Yoruba group further appealed to Amotekun, Police, the Department of State Services, and other security agencies to embrace their responsibilities to ensure that the Southwest is peaceful.
The group counselled that all hands should be on deck to collectively confront and mange the increasing insecurity in Oyo state and in the South-West geo-political zone in general.
It would be recalled that the IGP on Friday ordered the arrest of Igboho for giving seven days ultimatum to the herders in Ibarapa to vacate the town. While some believe that the move by the IGP was necessary to rip the growing insecurity in the bud as well as avoid a situation whereby private citizens, would want to latch on crisis situation to issue illegal orders, others think otherwise.
Along this line of thought, Governor Makinde had asked the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Ngozi Onadeko to arrest and treat like common criminals those fueling ethnic tension and fanning the embers of crisis in Oyo state.
Makinde subsequently called for greater synergy between the police formation in the State and the Western Nigeria Security Network codenamed Amotekun Corps, tasking the security outfit on joint patrol to go after the common criminals.
According to the Governor Makinde, the Hausa/Fulani people residing in the state posed no security problem but the hoodlums and bandits. He said; ”For people stoking ethnic tension, they are criminals and once you get them, they should be arrested and treated like common criminals.
”For this administration, the major pillar for us is security, because we know that all the good things we want to do economically wont be possible in an atmosphere of chaos and insecurity. So, when people say things that are not lawful and within the spirit of Nigeria’s constitution, it is not acceptable here. And they cannot hide under being people protecting”
He added; “We will be sincere, open and support you. I am sure that since you came in, you must have heard about some things happening at Ibarapa axis of the state. I will still say it here that we are not after Hausa-Fulani; we are after criminals.”
Meanwhile, at the expiration of an ultimatum on Friday given by Igboho, he followed through by storming Igangan, a community in Ibarapa to reportedly enforce the order, as he addressed thousands of supporters, insisting that the herders must leave the town in a video that has now gone viral.
However, on Saturday, Igboho broke silence on the IGP’s order of arrest reportedly issued against him, questioning the action.
He said the federal government has not issued similar order to arrest the alleged killers of Dr. Fatai Aborode after invading his farmland. He alleged that the killers of several well-meaning Nigerians that have been reportedly murdered by criminals in the area have not been found till date.
Fg did not order the Inspector general of Police to find and arrest the killer of Dr aborode, oko oloyu and other prominent yoruba elites kidnapped at Ibarapa Oyo state but they are planning to arrest me. Let's see how it goes.
— Sunday Igboho (@SundayIgbohoo) January 23, 2021
It was recently reported that late Aborode had gone to Seriki Fulani house in Ibarapa to lay complain on how herders invaded his farm with cows, but was allegedly tied and butchered to death.
This latest action was said to have infuriated Igboho and other Ibarapa youths, leading to the quit notice he reportedly issued to the herders and the ensuing tension in the state.
In another tweet, Igboho tweeted:
I saw different expensive vehicles, such as Range Rover Sport, Toyota Venza, Camry and more in the compound of the seriki. I asked him if it was with the proceeds from the cattle that he sold that he was able to buy the expensive vehicles, some of which costs as much as N38m.
— Sunday Igboho (@SundayIgbohoo) January 24, 2021
