Sunday Adeyemo, a Yoruba Nation activist, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has threatened to expose politicians allegedly behind the abduction of students in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Igboho made this known while addressing the new executive members of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), led by Akinteye Bàbàtunde, at his residence in the Soka area of Ibadan on Wednesday.
In a video of the meeting that has since gone viral, Igboho claimed he had volunteered to help dislodge the bandits responsible for the abduction but was resisted by the Oyo State Government.
He also denied ever demanding money from the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde to facilitate the rescue of the abducted students.
“If I am permitted to burst into the hideouts, they will flee. They are neither gnomes nor mannequins; they are humans, so that they could be dislodged. I know the politicians behind them, and if they do not stop perpetrating their evil acts, I will mention them all. I know them. The politicians behind them are the ones giving them ammunition and money.
“The same thing they did to Jonathan is what they are doing to Tinubu. They want to make the country ungovernable for him. They even have fake news propaganda to scare the masses and divert supporters away from the President. Suppose the recent abduction is not a game. In Oyo, they made away with children. I volunteered to go, but the state government said ‘No.’”
He further alleged that the state government later warned him against attempting any rescue operation, citing threats from the kidnappers.
“Later, they (Oyo government) informed me that the kidnappers said if I try to force myself to come rescue the children, they will kill them all. If they are serious about rescuing the victims, they should tell my boys and me to chase them out of the forests in our regions and see if those people will remain there even with their bombs and sophisticated weapons,” he said.
Igboho added that despite receiving approval from the Federal Government to establish his security outfit, “Iru Ekun,” the Oyo State Government restricted its operations.
“After I arranged ‘Iru Ekun’ security network, the Federal Government permitted me, but the state government said no security must take a step behind them. Do we have to wait for him to flood the forests to rescue these children? I’m just concerned about these abductees; nobody can kidnap me, not even my family, because they are spread across Canada and Germany. Why should I fret?
“Despite how bad Buhari’s administration is, he completed his tenure. Why are they trying to stop a Yoruba man — Tinubu — from completing his? It was Tinubu who freed me when I was in exile. Why should I tackle him? And why are they trying to ruin his government?” he queried.
Recall that on May 15, at least 45 pupils were reportedly abducted during attacks on three schools in Oriire Local Government Area. The affected schools include Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Esiele; and L.A. Primary School.
Tension has continued to rise in the state following the incident, with security agencies reportedly combing surrounding forest areas, including parts bordering the Old Oyo National Park, in search of the perpetrators.
A teacher at Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Elizabeth Olagoke, said the kidnappers communicated in Yoruba, Hausa, and Pidgin English.
Days after the abduction, one of the victims, teacher Michael Oyedokun, was reportedly killed. A disturbing video allegedly released by the kidnappers showed him tied up and forced to speak before being killed.
The development prompted Igboho to intensify calls for the deployment of his “Iru Ekun Security Network” to combat criminal elements in the South-West region.
He also expressed readiness to comply with the recent Executive Order issued by the Oyo State Government regulating private security operations in the state.
