Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, an activist for the Yoruba country, stated on Monday that his support for the South-West’s effective security is not directed at any ethnic group but rather at criminal elements that commit banditry, kidnappings, murders, and other vices.
In a statement released by his spokesperson, Olayomi Koiki, Igboho argued that Nigerians, regardless of religious, political, or ethnic differences, should work with the government and pertinent security agencies to prevent criminal activity. According to reports, the Concerned Fulani People of Nigeria, a socio-cultural group, called on President Bola Tinubu and the governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, to warn Yoruba nation agitator Adeyemo about what it described as inflammatory remarks made to Fulani communities in Oyo regarding the alleged kidnapping of a woman and her children.
Igboho reportedly responded to the CFPN’s statement in Ibadan on Monday, calling the development “baseless, misplaced priority and distortion of facts over insecurity ravaging some communities in Yorubaland.” The statement said, “It is obvious that since my agitation for improved security in South-West and other parts of the country, I have never declared war against any ethnic group but have consistently voiced my position against criminal elements responsible for kidnapping, vicious killings, rape, and violent attacks across Yoruba communities.
“This anonymous CFPN’s call is narrow-minded, ignorant, and absurd. The preservation of peace, security, and justice as well as the protection of innocent lives have always been our top priorities. We shall never support prejudice against any ethnic group. Our stance has always been very clear: as crime knows no colour or ethnicity, law enforcement agencies should identify, apprehend, and prosecute criminals regardless of their political, religious, or ethnic affiliations.When mindless thugs who are fixated on the horrific murders and kidnappings of innocent people in rural communities threaten our people’s rights to life, freedom, and economic livelihoods, it is completely incorrect and deceptive to characterise our response to security breaches in the Southwest as ethnic profiling.
The Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu, the Director-General of the Department of State Service, and the leaders of other security agencies deserve special recognition for their tireless efforts against criminals in the South-West and other regions of the country.
The statement clarified, “The collective task of ensuring a secure environment in our society should not be left to the government and stakeholders in the security sector, even though we would not hesitate to collaborate with security agencies to strengthen peace and safety of our communities in the South-West.”
However, it also stated that people urging the government to warn Igboho ought to back more robust security measures meant to break up criminal networks and guarantee justice for victims of abduction and other violent crimes.
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