Yoruba nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has emphasized that his call for enhanced security in the South-West is not directed against any ethnic group.
He stated that his advocacy is focused solely on combating criminal activities such as abductions, killings, banditry, and other violent crimes.
In a statement released by his spokesperson, Olayomi Koiki, Igboho urged Nigerians across religious, political, and ethnic lines to unite with government authorities and security agencies in the collective effort to eradicate criminality nationwide.
This clarification follows a statement issued on Sunday by the Fulani socio-cultural group, Concerned Fulani People of Nigeria. The group, through its Convener, Ibrahim Barkindo Chubado, appealed to President Bola Tinubu and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde to caution Igboho over what it described as inflammatory remarks allegedly targeting Fulani communities in Oyo State, in connection with the reported abduction of a woman and her children.
Apparently reacting to the statement of the CFPN in Ibadan, on Monday, Igboho described the development as “baseless, misplaced priority and distortion of facts over insecurity ravaging some communities in Yorubaland.”
The statement read, “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.
“The call by this faceless CFPN is myopic, uninformed and ridiculous. Our concern and primary focus have always been the protection of innocent lives and the preservation of peace, security and justice.
“We will never advocate hatred against any ethnic group. Our position has always been very clear: criminals should be identified, arrested and prosecuted by the law enforcement agencies regardless of their ethnic, religious and political inclinations because crime has no colour or race.
“It is absolutely wrong and misleading to portray our reaction to security breaches in South-West as ethnic profiling when the rights to life, freedom, and economic livelihoods of our people are being threatened by mindless hoodlums who are obsessed with gruesome killings and kidnapping of innocent people in rural communities.
“I want to specifically commend the noble efforts of the Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu, the Director-General of the Department of State Service and heads of other security agencies for their sustained onslaught against criminals in the South-West and other parts of the nation.
“While we would not hesitate to collaborate with security agencies in order to strengthen peace and safety of our communities in the South-West, the collective task of ensuring a secure environment in our society should not be left to the government and stakeholders in the security sector,” the statement explained.
The statement further emphasized that rather than urging the government to caution Igboho, stakeholders should channel their efforts toward supporting robust security initiatives. Such measures, it noted, are essential for dismantling criminal networks, curbing the menace of banditry, and ensuring that victims of kidnapping and other violent crimes receive justice. Strengthening security, the statement added, would not only safeguard communities across the South-West but also foster national unity by addressing criminality without ethnic bias.
