"There’ll be crisis if Sunday Igboho is arrested" – Yoruba youth leader, Olalekan Hammed warns

The presidency and the Inspector-general of Police, (IGP) Mohammed Adamu, have been advised against their plan to nab Sunday Adeyemo otherwise known as Sunday Igboho.

Olalekan Hammed, the National President of Yoruba Youth Socio-Cultural Association, while speaking in an interview with The PUNCH, disclosed that apprehending Igboho will spark crisis in the area.

As per him, Igboho offered to do what security agencies had failed to do for the people, noting that many citizens of the country had been maimed and killed for so long by marauding herdsmen.

He also disclosed that nabbing Igboho will make the people lose confidence in the Federal Government.

In his words...

“Ibarapa youths may react violently if Sunday Igboho is arrested. They will also lose hope in both the federal and the state government.

Ibarapa and other communities across Yoruba land seriously need to be guaranteed safety. So, any attempt to arrest Igboho will make the people think the government wants the menace of bandits in their communities to continue.”

The socio-cultural group leader urged the police not to arrest Igboho because he did not ask Fulani to leave Yorubaland but criminals.

He added, “The President’s body language which is boosting criminal herders’ moral has already pushed the entire country in a state of anarchy.”

It ought to be recalled that the presidency had said the IGP ordered the arrest of Sunday Igboho over the ultimatum he issued to fulani herdsmen in Oyo to leave the state.

As per BBC Hausa, the presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, confirmed the arrest order during its programme on Friday, 22nd January, 2021.

Part of the BBC Hausa report reads below; 

“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 discuss 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 government was having a hard time punishing (such) offenders because of the activities of human rights organisations.”