Yoruba Nation activist Sunday Adeyemo, widely known as Sunday Igboho, has vowed to expose the identities of politicians funding the recent abduction of school children in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The activist made these disclosures on Wednesday while hosting the newly elected leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students, led by Akinteye Babatunde, at his Soka residence in Ibadan.
In a trending video recorded by Wisdom TV, Igboho made it clear that he had personally volunteered to flush out the bandits from their hideouts but was blocked by the Oyo State government.
He also flatly denied asking for any financial compensation from the Governor Seyi Makinde-led administration to facilitate the rescue of the 47 captives.
During the meeting, Igboho directly accused political actors of driving the insecurity, stating, “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.”
He went on to draw a parallel with past administrations, adding, “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.’”
According to the activist, the state authorities used the safety of the victims as a reason to keep him away.
“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 further explained that despite securing federal clearance for his local security outfit, named “Iru Ekun,” state officials prohibited his intervention.
He asked, “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?”
Expressing his loyalty to the President, Igboho noted, “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?”
The activist’s remarks follow the May 15 simultaneous attacks on three schools in the Oriire Local Government Area—including Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Esiele; and L.A. Primary School—where at least 45 pupils were successfully carted away by gunmen.
