The Yoruba nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, on Monday, said his advocacy for effective security of the South-West is not targeted at any ethnic nationality but rather against criminal elements, who are perpetrating abduction, killings, banditry, and other vices.
Igboho, in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Olayomi Koiki, contended that Nigerians, irrespective of religious, political and ethnic divides, should collaborate with the government and relevant security agencies to rid the nation of criminality.
The Fulani socio-cultural group, the Concerned Fulani People of Nigeria had, on Sunday, in a statement by its Convener, Ibrahim Barkindo Chubado, called on President Bola Tinubu and the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, to caution Yoruba nation agitator, Adeyemo, over what it described as inflammatory remarks directed at Fulani communities in Oyo over the alleged abduction of a woman and her children.
Apparently reacting to the statement of the CFPN in Ibadan, on Monday, Igboho described the development as “baseless, misplaced priority and distortion of facts over insecurity ravaging some communities in Yorubaland.”
The statement read, “It is obvious that since my agitation for improved security in South-West and other parts of the country, I have never declared war against any ethnic group but have consistently voiced my position against criminal elements responsible for kidnapping, vicious killings, rape and violent attacks across Yoruba communities.
“The call by this faceless CFPN is myopic, uninformed and ridiculous. Our concern and primary focus have always been the protection of innocent lives and the preservation of peace, security and justice.
“We will never advocate hatred against any ethnic group. Our position has always been very clear: criminals should be identified, arrested and prosecuted by the law enforcement agencies regardless of their ethnic, religious and political inclinations because crime has no colour or race.
“It is absolutely wrong and misleading to portray our reaction to security breaches in South-West as ethnic profiling when the rights to life, freedom, and economic livelihoods of our people are being threatened by mindless hoodlums who are obsessed with gruesome killings and kidnapping of innocent people in rural communities.
“I want to specifically commend the noble efforts of the Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu, the Director-General of the Department of State Service and heads of other security agencies for their sustained onslaught against criminals in the South-West and other parts of the nation.
“While we would not hesitate to collaborate with security agencies in order to strengthen peace and safety of our communities in the South-West, the collective task of ensuring a secure environment in our society should not be left to the government and stakeholders in the security sector,” the statement explained.
It, however, added that those calling on the government to caution Igboho should instead support stronger security measures aimed at dismantling criminal networks and ensuring justice for victims of kidnapping and other violent crimes.
The PUNCH