Yoruba Nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has alleged that some politicians are behind the recent wave of kidnappings in Oyo State and threatened to publicly identify those responsible if the attacks continue. Igboho made the allegations while hosting newly elected leaders of the National Association of……
Yoruba Nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has alleged that some politicians are behind the recent wave of kidnappings in Oyo State and threatened to publicly identify those responsible if the attacks continue.
Igboho made the allegations while hosting newly elected leaders of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), led by Akinteye Babatunde, at his residence in the Soka area of Ibadan. His remarks were captured in a video circulated by Wisdom TV on Wednesday.
Speaking on the abduction of schoolchildren in Oriire Local Government Area of the state, the activist claimed that he had offered to assist in rescue efforts but was discouraged from doing so by the Oyo State Government.
Sunday Igboho alleged that authorities informed him that the abductors had threatened to kill the victims if he attempted to intervene.
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“If I am permitted to burst into the hideouts, they will flee. They are neither gnomes nor mannequins; they are humans, so that they could be dislodged. I know the politicians behind them, and if they do not stop perpetrating their evil acts, I will mention them all. I know them. The politicians behind them are the ones giving them ammunition and money,” he said.
“Later, they (Oyo government) informed me that the kidnappers said if I try to force myself to come rescue the children, they will kill them all. If they are serious about rescuing the victims, they should tell my boys and me to chase them out of the forests in our regions and see if those people will remain there even with their bombs and sophisticated weapons.”
The activist further claimed that his security outfit, Iru Ekun, had secured approval from the Federal Government but was prevented from participating in security operations by the state government.
“After I arranged ‘Iru Ekun’ security network, the Federal Government permitted me, but the state government said no security must take a step behind them. Do we have to wait for him to flood the forests to rescue these children? I’m just concerned about these abductees; nobody can kidnap me, not even my family, because they are spread across Canada and Germany. Why should I fret?” he said.
Igboho also linked the security challenges facing parts of the country to what he described as attempts by certain individuals to undermine the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
According to him, some actors are deliberately creating instability and spreading misinformation to weaken public confidence in the government.
“Despite how bad Buhari’s administration is, he completed his tenure. Why are they trying to stop a Yoruba man — Tinubu — from completing his? It was Tinubu who freed me when I was in exile. Why should I tackle him? And why are they trying to ruin his government?” Sunday Igboho queried.
“The same thing they did to Jonathan is what they are doing to Tinubu. They want to make the country ungovernable for him. They even have fake news propaganda to scare the masses and divert supporters away from the President. Suppose the recent abduction is not a game. In Oyo, they made away with children. I volunteered to go, but the state government said ‘No.’”
The comments come amid public outrage over the abduction of dozens of pupils and teachers during coordinated attacks on three schools in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15, an incident that triggered widespread concern and renewed calls for stronger security measures across the state.
Neither the Oyo State Government nor security agencies had publicly responded to Igboho’s allegations as of the time of filing this report.
