Popular Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho says he has nothing against Fulani herdsmen but only the criminally-minded ones in the group.
“I am not against Hausa/Fulani people. I have many of them as friends at Sabo, Ibadan,” he said.
The 49-year-old stated this in an interview with popular broadcaster, Kola Olootu on Thursday while justifying his quit notice issued to Fulani herdsmen in Ibarapa area of Oke Ogun in Oyo State.
Sunday Igboho explained that he issued the quit notice, which expired on Friday, because of the incessant killings of Yoruba people in the Ibarapa and Oke Ogun areas of the state.
The activist said it was worrisome that his people do not feel safe in their own land because of the activities of killer herdsmen.
“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.
“You will recall the case of ‘Oko Oloyun’ ( a popular herbal medicine practitioner) who was killed during a visit to his country house. He was killed at Igbo Ora.
“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 and cultivated a farmland in Igangan. He employed about 300 people. When his farm was plundered by cattle, he lodged a complaint with the Seriki Fulani.
“Few days after, killer herdsmen kidnapped him, tied him and butchered him. Nothing was done and no arrest was made.”
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He said that the man’s even demanded ransom to release the man’s corpse.
“After that, they also killed a woman, an Alhaja, a native of Imeko who brought the ransom. Many like that had been killed, including the son to Oba Abdulazeez Adeoye of Igangan.
“Before getting to Seriki’s residence, you have to pass through three local security checkpoints. Seriki is so powerful, (even) more powerful than traditional rulers in the zone.
“They rape women coming from the farm at will and nothing is done about it. Now, we are determined to defend our people, but they say we don’t have the right to do so.”
Sunday Igboho said he did not issue the quit notice to gain cheap popularity as claimed in some quarters but to defend his people against ceaseless attacks from outsiders.
“Some people alleged that I’m doing this to gain cheap popularity, far from it. Some even said perhaps I’m trying to do it to enrich myself, but that is not also correct.
“The fact is that I am a rich man. I am not seeking favour from government because I’m a contented person. I don’t need money or favour from government, but I am from Ibarapa.
“Before now, during hot weather, we used to lay our mats and sleep outside the house or in the courtyards without any fear.
“In those days, we sometimes returned from farm around 1am without any molestation or fear of possible attacks. But things have changed. People no longer feel safe.
“Those in government need to know that without the citizens there would be no government,” Sunday Igboho said.
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