Tension In Oyo As Sunday Igboho Defies Makinde, Insists On Fulanis’ Ejection

Sunday Adeyemo, a youth leader better known as Sunday Igboho has maintained that herders in Igangan community in Ibarapa area of Oyo state must leave the locality.

The atmosphere in the area is thick with tension and trepidation as Sunday’s insistence on effecting his planned eviction of the herders put him on collision course with the state governor, Seyi Makinde, who had said the state was not after the herders but criminals.

On January 16, Igboho led some youths to Saliu Abdulkadir, Sarkin Fulani of Oyo state, to express his grievances over the recent killings in the axis.

He accused the herders of perpetrating nefarious and criminal activities in the area, hence giving them  a 7-day ultimatum to leave Oyo.

Subsequently, Makinde overruled Igboho, saying he could not arrogate to himself the power to determine who lives in Oyo and who cannot as such violates the the freedom of movement enshrined in the Nigerian constitution.

He added that his administration would not accept issuance of ultimatums for any group of persons to leave Oyo.

However, Igboho disregarded Makinde and together with his supporters stormed Ibarapa on Friday to effect the eviction notice.

He insisted that the herders must vacate the area, accusing them of killing the Yorubas.

Speaking with BBC Yoruba, Igboho said if the government can provide adequate security for lives and properties of its people, then the people will take laws into their own hands.

“They are saying I am not in government and that I am meddling with what does not concern me. If there is government and it is not doing what it is supposed to do, the people that voted will rise up,” Igboho said.

“It’s not like I commanded the Fulani to leave our land or that I suddenly said something arbitrarily. For like two weeks now, these Fulani people in Ibarapa have been killing our people. Look at this Doctor Fatai, who went abroad for many years to work; he made his money, came back to his father’s village in Igangan, built farms and employed people to work with him. Fulani people ate the farm for him, he approached the Seriki of the Fulani that this ought not to be, and they killed him there.”

Commercial and educational activities have been halted as residents have remained in their homes out of the fear of being caught in clashes.

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