BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – The Presidency on Saturday announced that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu has ordered the arrest of a popular Oyo youth leader and activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo popularly known as Sunday Igboho over the quit order issued to Fulani herdsmen in Oyo State.
This was announced by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, Mallam Garba Shehu in an interview he granted the BBC Hausa on Friday.
The BBC report quoted Shehu as having said; “I have just got off the phone with the IGP who told me that an order had been given to the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Ngozi Onadeko, to arrest Igboho immediately and transfer him to Abuja.
“Government is having a hard time punishing (such) offenders because of the activities of human rights organisations. The order given by the Inspector General of Police, for now, is that Igboho should be arrested and brought to Abuja to be taken to court to face prosecution”.
But the Police High command through the Force Public Relations Offier, CP Frank Mba is yet to issue a statement in that direction
Igboho issued a seven-day ultimatum to Fulani herders to leave Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State just as he insisted that the Fulani herders must fish out the killers of prominent Yoruba sons and daughters.
Sunday Ighoho said that the reason for asking the Fulani herders to leave is because of the unending killings and kidnappings.
However, the spokesman to President Muhammadu Buhari, Mr. Garba Shehu told the BBC Hausa Service that the IGP directed the new Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, CP Ngozi Onadeko, to arrest Sunday Igboho and move him to Abuja.
The tension and crisis between Sunday Igboho group and Fulani herdsmen in Oyo State led Governor Seyi Makinde to have declared that he administration would not allow anyone to cause an ethnic crisis in the Southwest state.
Makinde while condemning the attack on Fulani herdsmen in Igangan area of Oyo State, said that nobody has the right to attack or harass anyone carrying out legitimate businesses in the state.
Makinde, who stated this on Friday when he received in audience the new Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Ngozi Onadeko, warned that his administration would not allow anyone to threaten the peace of the state by acting unlawfully or infringing on the rights of others.
He pointedly said that his government and security agencies need not wage war against any particular ethnic group but against criminal elements, irrespective of their tribes, religions, or creed.
The governor assured that his administration would continue to work with all security agencies in the state to fight criminals, hoodlums, and bandits.
Makinde tasked the police to arrest miscreants, irrespective of their tribes, causing tension and threatening the peace of the state.
