The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has firmly defended Yoruba self-determination advocate, Mr Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, over his recent actions against kidnappers and criminal elements operating in parts of Yorubaland, insisting that the overriding priority must be the safety and security of citizens.

The organisation also used the opportunity to commend President Bola Tinubu for transmitting the executive bill on the establishment of state police to the National Assembly, while urging federal and state lawmakers, as well as governors, to expedite action on the legislation in the national interest.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi, Afenifere cautioned individuals and groups threatening Igboho over his campaign against kidnapping, banditry and terrorism in the South-West, stressing that his actions were directed at criminals and not at any ethnic group.

According to the organisation, Igboho “is not threatening any particular ethnic group but individuals and groups who are engaged in terror acts in Yorubaland.“

The statement followed recent incidents of abduction along the Igboho-Igbeti-Kisi axis of Oke-Ogun in Oyo State. In response to the worsening security situation, Sunday Igboho travelled to his hometown of Igboho last weekend, where he issued a two-hour ultimatum demanding the release of a pregnant woman and two other kidnap victims, warning that kidnappers would face serious consequences should they fail to comply.

Igboho also warned Fulani individuals involved in criminal activities such as kidnapping to desist immediately.

At the same time, he cautioned any indigenous resident of Igboho or Yorubaland found aiding or collaborating with kidnappers and criminal gangs. He reassured law-abiding non-indigenes residing peacefully within the area that they had nothing to fear.

However, his remarks drew criticism from several prominent northern groups, including the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Coalition of Northern Groups and Concerned Fulani People of Nigeria.

The groups condemned the ultimatum and the strong language used against Fulani elements allegedly involved in kidnapping and terrorist activities.

They further called on President Bola Tinubu and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde to rein in and publicly rebuke the Yoruba activist.

Rejecting those calls, Afenifere maintained that there was absolutely nothing wrong with Igboho’s position or actions, arguing that every community has a legitimate right to demand protection from criminal violence.

“Since he was not violent in his actions nor conduct himself in a manner that violates the laws of the land, calling on the authorities to deal with him borders on blackmail and an attempt to call a dog a bad name with a view to having it hanged,” the organisation stated.

Afenifere further argued that Yorubaland has historically remained one of the safest and most accommodating regions for Nigerians from across the country, including people of northern extraction, many of whom have lived and prospered in the region for decades without conflict.

The organisation noted that harmonious coexistence began to come under strain when criminal elements posing as herders allegedly started destroying farmlands belonging to local communities.

“But the situation began to change from the moment that unscrupulous Fulani herders began to graze on farmlands of the local people. This was to be compounded by abduction and sacking of communities that began to occur in recent times,” the statement said.

Afenifere also pointed to allegations that illegal mining activities may be contributing to insecurity in parts of the country.

According to the organisation, those involved in unlawful mining operations have been identified as possible sponsors of terrorism, moving into communities to exploit mineral resources after residents have been displaced by violence and insecurity.

Ajayi stated that widespread perceptions linking many of the perpetrators to northern Nigeria stemmed from the fact that banditry and terrorism have historically been more prevalent in parts of the North, while many suspects apprehended in connection with such crimes have reportedly been of northern origin, particularly Fulani.

“That is why many believe that the perpetrators of the evil are from the north,” he said.

The spokesman further claimed that senior military officers had previously disclosed that some of the criminal elements currently operating in the South-West were remnants of terrorist groups displaced from the Sambisa Forest area in the North-East by military operations.

Afenifere emphasised that Igboho’s frustration was not directed at Fulani people as an ethnic group but at those responsible for violent crimes across Yorubaland.

The organisation insisted that he was targeting “those who are behind the dastardly acts of kidnapping people, collecting ransoms and killing their victims.“

Rather than criticising those confronting insecurity, Afenifere urged northern leaders to focus attention on addressing the root causes of terrorism and criminal recruitment.

The organisation identified such factors as widespread poverty, mass youth unemployment, lack of education and the alienation of millions of young people from the social welfare and economic opportunities the government ought to provide.

On the issue of policing, Afenifere welcomed President Tinubu’s decision to forward the State Police Executive Bill to the National Assembly and praised federal lawmakers for moving swiftly on the proposal.

The group called on all State Houses of Assembly across the federation to pass the legislation immediately once transmitted to them, describing state police as a critical component of Nigeria’s long-term security architecture.

Afenifere also urged governors to begin preparations for the establishment of state police services without delay once the legal framework is in place.

“They should recruit people without criminal tendencies, train and equip them properly and compliment their efforts with needed technology. They should also be properly motivated in terms of remuneration and have life insurance for them.”

The organisation maintained that the creation of well-equipped and professionally managed state police forces would significantly strengthen local intelligence gathering, improve rapid response capabilities and enhance the overall fight against kidnapping, banditry and terrorism across the country.

Afenifere maintained that safeguarding lives and property must remain a collective national responsibility and should never be undermined by ethnic, political or sectional considerations. (Vanguard, excluding headline)

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