The battleline appears to have been drawn between self-acclaimed Yoruba freedom fighter, Chief Sunday Adeyemo a.k.a Igboho and Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State over the activities of criminal Fulani herdsmen in parts of the state.
Following the reign of terror unleashed on the Ibarapa community of the state by the herdsmen, the residents made a distress call to Igboho to deliver them from the oppression of the herders. Heeding the distress call, the Yoruba freedom fighter subsequently promised to come to the aid of the residents and flush out the criminal Fulani herdsmen in the community.
Governor Makinde however faulted Igboho’s stand declaring that nobody reserved the right to order anyone out of the state and gave security agencies a marching order to ensure that peace reigns in the area.
Rejecting the governor’s warning, Igboho remained adamant on the eviction order he gave to kidnappers masquerading as Fulani herders in the area. He vowed that nothing on earth would stop his visit to Ibarapa insisting that he would fight for his people with the last pint of his blood.
In a recorded video, he dared anyone who would stop him on the way to rescue the Ibarapa people who he said had made a distress call to him to deliver them from the oppression of the herders.
Igboho who rained curses on whoever was backing the Fulani herders to unleash terror on the residents of the southwest zone noted that if they stood on his way, he would crush them.
In the video, he commended the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi for his efforts at ensuring peace reigns in Yorubaland.
He said, “we thank Alaafin, I said earlier that we have the backing of ‘Iku Baba Yeye’. I’m promising my brothers and sisters in Ibarapa and Yorubaland that peace will be restored in the land. Whoever in Yorubaland is backing the Fulani to perpetrate their crimes, will perish with his generation”, he said.
Igboho had earlier visited the town of Ayete where he met their king to inform him that he should tell the Fulani leader there to ask his men to vacate the area. He gave them a seven-day ultimatum which expired yesterday.
In defiance of Governor Makinde’s directive, Igboho yesterday made good his promise to visit Ibarapa where he was given a heroic welcome.
On arrival at the town, he briefly addressed the residents who applauded him for fulfilling his promise not to abandon them.
He told the crowd that gave him a heroic welcome, “I’m assuring you that no one will henceforth kidnap or unleash terror on you. This is your father’s land. We are not fighting anyone who doesn’t disturb our peace. We are law-abiding provided you don’t trample on our own rights to live peacefully in our land.
“It’s not only Ibarapa we will liberate; we will visit other Yoruba states where the visitors are terrorising them. We say no to kidnapping, rape, and killing of our people.”
He appeared to have fortified himself as what looked like a traditional bulletproof could be seen under the pink shirt he wore.
