Moses Ofodeme
Chief Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, on Sunday, January 24, detailed reasons for issuing an eviction order to killer herdsmen in the Ibarapa area of Oke Ogun, Oyo State.
Igboho stated his reasons in an interview granted to the press, where he bemoaned the “incessant attacks on our people in the Ibarapa and Oke Ogun areas of the (Oyo) state.”
He berated the Hausa/Fulani herdsmen of being violent via engagement in atrocious activities; such as destruction of farmlands and kidnappings.
“Yoruba people don’t engage in such atrocious things. You cannot see a Yoruba man going about killing people in Kano.
“In the North, they can behead a Yoruba man for slapping a Hausa/Fulani not to talk of destroying their farmlands.”
Igboho cited the recent death of the popular herbal medicine practitioner, Oko Oloyun, who was killed during a visit to his country house.
“He was killed at Igbo Ora. The government said they would unravel the facts behind his killing; but till now, the matter has not been unravelled. That killing would clock up a year this month.
“Another illustrious son, Dr Fatai Aborode, returned from overseas as well as cultivated farmland in Igangan. He employed about 300 people.
“When his farm was plundered by cattle, he lodged a complaint with the Seriki Fulani. A few days after, killer herdsmen kidnapped him; tied him; and butchered him. Nothing was done and no arrest was made.”
The Presidency, on Saturday, January 23, issued a mandate to the Inspector-General of Police, Muhammed Adamu ordering the arrest of Igboho, for giving Fulani in Oyo State an ultimatum to exit the state.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, during an interview with BBC Hausa.
According to the BBC report, Shehu said he had just got off the phone with the IGP; who told him that an order had been given to the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Ngozi Onadeko; to arrest Igboho immediately and also transfer him to Abuja.
The report read, “Garba said he just got off the telephone with the Inspector General of the Nigeria Police; who confirmed to him that he had ordered the arrest of Igboho, who is to be brought to Abuja.
“Mallam Garba Shehu said the government was having a hard time punishing (such) offenders; because of the activities of human rights organisations.
“Garba Shehu said the order given by the Inspector General of Police, for now, is that Igboho should be arrested and brought to Abuja to be taken to court to face prosecution.”