A Yoruba freedom fighter, Sunday Adeyemo, otherwise known as Sunday Igboho, has finally spoken about his house in the Soka area of Ibadan, Oyo state capital, set on fire in the early hours of Tuesday by arsonists.
He expressed the belief that those who attacked his house must have had help from some Yoruba people.
“What I find surprising is that some Yorubas are in support of the herdsmen to set my house on fire. I’m saddened by it,” he said.
Igboho’s old house in Soka was set ablaze by unidentified men in the early hours of Tuesday just hours after a meeting between Southwest Governors and members of Miyetti Allah.
The meeting was held as a result of the growing tensions over an ultimatum issued by Igboho for criminal herdsmen to leave Oyo State.
His ultimatum was followed by a seven-day ultimatum issued by the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, for herdsmen to vacate the forest reserves in the state.
Narrating what he learnt about the attack on his old house, Igboho who spoke with journalists said the arsonists fired gunshots before breaking in.
He said, “Around 3.30am today, my younger ones residing at my old house rushed to my gate to wake me up, saying some bandits came to the house, fired gunshots, broke the gate, and set the house ablaze. The two people at the house managed to escape. By the time I got there, the bandits had escaped. So, we called firefighters to help us put out the fire.”
On why he’s against the criminal herdsmen, Igboho said their atrocities in Yorubaland are preventing peace from reigning.
“These Fulanis are killing our brothers in our fatherland. They’re killing, raping, and kidnapping. All the things they are doing to us are not good. That’s why I’m trying to unite our people so that we can chase them away for peace to reign in Yorubaland,” he said.
He expressed the belief that those who attacked his house must have had help from some Yoruba people.
“What I find surprising is that some Yorubas are in support of the herdsmen to set my house on fire. I’m saddened by it,” he said.
When asked whom he suspected to be behind the attack, he said, “For now, I do not suspect anyone.”
He continued, “When they knew they could fight, fire gunshots, and set a house ablaze, isn’t it where I stay that they are supposed to come? If they had come to the house where I stay, I would have had evidence for you people (journalists) because they won’t all escape. It’s either you meet their dead bodies or meet them with broken legs. I thank God that they applied wisdom by going to a house where they know that I don’t live and destroyed my properties and burnt it down.”
On the level of damage done to his house, he said, “The worth of what was destroyed at my house cannot be less than N50 million.”
When asked if he’s aware of the language spoken by the bandits, Igboho said, “Those who were at the house are the ones who can give an explanation to that, because I wasn’t there. What they said was that they came with about five cars. I can’t tell for sure because I wasn’t there.”
He said his younger brothers who were at the house during the incident escaped unhurt, noting that the incident has been reported to the police who also came to inspect the scene.
However, the Oyo Police Command said some yet-to-be identified hoodlums are responsible for the fire outbreak as investigation is ongoing to ascertain what led to the incident.
The Police noted that the hoodlums came to the house in the early hours of Tuesday in a Hummer bus and Micra firing sporadically, and later set the house ablaze.
A statement by the Police Public Relation Officer of the Command, Gbenga Fadeyi said that the mini sitting room of the house got burnt in the process while amount of other properties burnt is yet to be estimated.
He said the police had begun an investigation into the incident.
The house was said to have been burnt around 3 am on Tuesday after the power supply to the area was cut off.
The police statement reads: “At about 0620 hrs of today 26/01/2021, a report was received at the Santo Police Station that some unidentified hoodlums came to Sunday Igboho’s house at Soka area of Ibadan in a Hummer bus and Micra ( taxi) firing sporadically, and set the house ablaze.
“The mini sitting room got burnt in the process while the value of other properties is yet to be estimated.
“Immediately the DPO Sanyo got wind of the incident, he contacted Fire service while he also went to the scene for on the spot assessment.
Fadeyi, however, said that the fire was eventually put out and investigation has commenced into the incident while the Police is on the trail of the hoodlums.
Recalled that, several houses belonging to the Seriki Fulani of Oyo State, Alhaji Saliu Abdulkadir, were allegedly set on fire by aggrieved youths in Igangan community of Ibarapa zone of Oyo State, on Friday night after the visit of Sunday Adeyemo (aka Sunday Igboho) to enforce his seven-day quit notice to the Fulani herdsmen in the area.
