The Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, has denied reports that he collected N50 million from the Federal Government to make the arrest of Sunday Igboho possible.
He said as scores of Yoruba Nation agitators, Wednesday, staged a protest in Ibadan, Oyo State, demanding the release of agitators arrested by the Department of State Service, DSS, and other security agencies, just as they warned the Federal Government to stop further attacks on Yoruba freedom fighter, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho.
This came on a day the Agbekoya Farmers Society of Nigeria described the raid on Igboho’s house as crude and uncivilised.
Security agencies carried out a raid on the Soka home of Chief Adeyemo, and arrested some people in the house.
Protest in Ibadan
The protesters, in their hundreds, carried placards bearing different inscriptions, while chanting solidarity songs calling for the freedom of Yorubaland.
The stern-looking protesters, who marched to Igboho’s house and subsequently walked through major roads in Ibadan before visiting the palace of Oba Saliu Adetunji, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, were dressed in black outfits and armed with charms.
They included family members of those arrested and paraded by the DSS. They had earlier blocked the Lagos-Ibadan expressway briefly before moving on to Challenge, Molete, other areas of the city, and then marched to the Olubadan’s palace.
They condemned the raid on Igboho’s house, describing it as “illegal, sad, barbaric and a return to authoritarian rule”, while demanding the release of those arrested.
One of the protesters said: “What the DSS did was wrong. Why not invite Igboho, if you think he has committed a crime?
“He is fighting for a genuine cause and we will all support his agitation. We are here to give the Federal Government a seven-day ultimatum to reverse the declaration of Chief Sunday Igboho wanted.”
The protesters, however, urged Yoruba leaders to support their cause to enable the fight for the freedom of Yorubaland achievable.
Mr. Adeola Oloko, who spoke on behalf of the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, denied reports that the Olubadan collected a sum of N50 million from the Federal Government to make the arrest of Sunday Igboho possible.
He said: “The protesters were here and before they came we have been hearing through news on social media that Kabiesi received the sum of N50m from the Federal Government for the killing of Igboho, or for his arrest to become possible.
“I want to seize this opportunity to inform the public that Kabiesi did not collect a dime from anybody. Sunday Igboho is a Yoruba man, he lives in Ibadan, so he is a son of Kabiesi Olubadan, and we are duty-bound to protect him.
“So if he is operating within the limit of the law, we are supposed to protect him, so Kabiesi is using this opportunity to say that we did not collect any money from anybody irrespective of anybody at all.
“At 92 going to 93, what does he need much money for? Is it to rear up children, to send children to school, to build houses, to buy vehicles? So tell me what he has not been able to do in life.
“So, the story is not true, and I’m also using this medium to warn those on the social media to be very mindful of what they disseminate, because those stories have a great effect on innocent people.
“Now that the people have come, they have seen for themselves that what was reported was not true, and they came with a lot of requests.
“Kabiesi has said to them that he will present their requests to the appropriate authorities beginning from this moment, and he has said we should summon a meeting of the stakeholders.
“So, that the request could be looked into and addressed so that the necessary action is taken. We do not want a state of anarchy in Ibadanland, we want all our youths to operate within the ambit of the law that is the message of the Kabiesi to them.”
Reacting to the raid after a meeting by its National Executive Council and the Iwarefa-ln-Council, Agbekoya faulted the manner and approach the security operatives conducted themselves.
President General of the guild of farmers, Chief Kamorudeen Okikiola described the raid as “crude and uncivilized, more so that no letter of invitation or warrant of arrest was served on Chief Sunday Adeyemo before they raided his house like the den of criminals.”
Okikiola said: “It is very unfortunate and disturbing that the security agencies and soldiers who have not been able to arrest and prosecute the criminal Fulani herdsmen, bandits and kidnappers, who have been terrorizing and killing innocent Nigerians over the years could storm the house of an agitator, who has been organizing peaceful rallies to express his opinions without following due process of arrest.
“The conduct of the officers of the security agencies is a disgrace to Nigeria and the rule of law and we are calling on the Federal Government to apologize to Sunday Igboho and also pay compensation to the families of those that were killed during the raid.
“We are also calling on the Federal and State governments to urgently find lasting solutions to the state of insecurity in our society.”
Meanwhile, Governor ‘Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, who spoke through his Executive Assistant on Security Matters, Mr. Sunday Odukoya assured the protesters that government will look into their various demands on self-determination.
Odukoya also noted that their various demands would be given adequate media attention.
