The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has ordered the arrest of Sunday Adeyemo, aka ‘Sunday Igboho,’ over a quit notice issued to Fulani herdsmen in Ibarapa Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The order for Igboho’s arrest was confirmed by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, during an interview with BBC, Hausa Service.
According to a BBC report, Garba said he had just got off the phone with the police boss, who told him that he had ordered the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Ngozi Onadeko, to arrest Igboho immediately and transfer him to Abuja.
Part of 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.
“Igboho is among topics that have generated public discussion on social media in Nigeria on Friday since he visited Igangan in Ibarapa Local Government (of Oyo State) where he insisted that all Fulani residents in Oyo State must leave as long as kidnapping continues.
“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.”
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Igboho, who is the ‘Akoni Oodua’ of Yoruba land and a grassroots politician, had asked herdsmen in Ibarapa Local Government Area of Oyo State to leave within seven days, blaming the leadership of the Fulani for being behind the rising insecurity in the state.
Last week, the Presidency had criticised Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State for asking Fulani herders to vacate the state’s forest reserves because the place was being used by bandits and kidnappers.
Similarly, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State had in a broadcast warned persons fuelling ethic crisis in the state to desist from such act. He asked CP Onadeko to arrest any law breaker, including Igboho
Despite this, Igboho and his supporters stormed Igangan on Friday afternoon.
Addressing the youths, Igboho said, “They started deploying soldiers here yesterday (Thursday). When our people were being kidnapped and killed, there was no soldier to be deployed to secure them.”
Reacting to the deployment of security forces, the Police Public Relations Officer on Oyo State, Olugbenga Fadeyi, said, “Tactical police teams with Operation Burst are on ground to give maximum security protection while efforts are on to ascertain the situation there.”
