A popular Yoruba freedom fighter, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has said the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, disappointed the Yoruba people when he visited the President Muhammadu Buhari, of recent over the herdsmen crisis rocking the South-West region.
He also described the National leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu and Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, as Fulani slaves.
Igboho also flayed some Yoruba leaders, including traditional rulers, alleging that have not shown enough support for the struggle to liberate the Yoruba from their”Fulani oppressors”.
The activist stated this on Wednesday morning at a virtual Townhall With Yoruba In Diaspora monitored by Newsflash Nigeria.
The meeting, which started at 11:15pm on Tuesday, ended at 1am on Wednesday. It had more than 1000 participants from Nigeria and the Diaspora.
Igboho joined in at 12:16am, saying he was just entering Oyo town to see Lamidi Adeyemi, the Alaafin of Oyo, for a meeting. He said the monarch is in supporter of his struggle.
In the meeting, Igboho said, Ooni failed to convey the pains and displeasure of the Yoruba people to the President during the visit.
Newsflash had reported that Igboho issued a seven-day quit notice to herdsmen accused of sundry crimes in the Ibarapa area of Oyo State and enforced same.
Oba Ogunwusi after meeting the President, however, urged Igboho not to take laws into his hands.
The monarch had said though Igboho has done well to speak for the downtrodden, it was time he allowed the constituted authorities including the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, to take charge and handle the security challenges in the state.
But the activist said some politicians were behind Ooni’s latest move, adding that the monarch disappointed the Yoruba people by not speaking against the killer herdsmen in the region when he met with the President.
Igboho said, “The monarchs are now afraid but we must keep praying for them to be united with one voice. They should not be afraid of arrest at their age. Some of them don’t even grant audience at their palaces any longer. So, everything is now in God’s hands.
“When Ooni met with Buhari over the herdsmen issue, Ooni should have told Buhari the truth but he did not. When Ooni returned, he started tackling me to leave the remaining task to the government to finish. You can imagine that kind of talk?
“Alaafin of Oyo has asked me to meet him over the matter. Alaafin should have been the one invited to meet Buhari but since the Ooni was invited, he should be bold to tell the President the whole truth and make the demands of the Yoruba people known to the President.
“The Ooni disappointed himself. Some politicians are behind Ooni’s latest move. He invited me to his palace but I refused to go. I would have gone if he had represented us well but he did not. I won’t honour any monarch who does not cooperate with me. Enough is enough, the Fulani have done enough.”
According to him, the fight to liberate the Yoruba and bring lasting peace is not for the police but for all Yoruba people, irrespective of where they are all over the world.
He said: “I am not concerned about the police. The struggle is about Yoruba agenda as it concerns security situation in our land and I trust Yoruba people for support. People are afraid because of the atrocities of the herders. We also pray that our leaders will support us irrespective if their fear of being arrested. They should be able to talk to President Muhammadu Buhari on security in Yoruba land.
“When Ooni visited Buhari, the president received him by standing up but he said something I don’t like. That is why the Alaafin called me. He wants to tackle what Ooni said.”
Igboho said he has not received financial support from anyone, adding that he needs buses to transport his followers to places where the herders are wreaking havoc.
“I need buses to transport people. The three vans we use are bought by me. We lost three buses that were hired on our way to Oyo. Ooni should be able to tell Buhari about what Yoruba want. But he has collected dollars from Buhari. He called me but I don’t want to see him. Only Alaafin is supporting us and he has written a letter to the president. Ooni disappointed me. Politicians are with him,” he added.
The youth leader also criticised Abdulrasheed Akanbi, the Oluwo f Iwo, for calling himself an Emir. He said some Yoruba leaders have turned themselves into slaves of the ethnic tribe that oppresses their people because of money.
“The Oluwo will wear turban and start calling himself an Emir, our people should call him and tell him to stop what he is doing. Our leaders are lazy and slaves to Fulanis. They visit Abuja to collect money, we will attack them and destroy their property. Ooni should be dealt with. I am annoyed. Why should we be afraid of the crown they (Yoruba monarchs)wear?
“Tinubu and other Yoruba politicians are Fulani slaves. We need not be afraid. I have not collected any money from anyone. I am a full Yoruba man and I will not allow Fulani people to enslave me, we do not look or behave alike in any way. The herders should go. Makinde is also a slave to the herders because of second term ambition,” Igboho said.
During the meeting, some of the participants called on Igboho to stop recording and releasing videos of his activities. A caller also advised him to stop attacking Yoruba leaders, saying they are not speaking up because of the respect for the Nigerian constitution.
A caller also said Yoruba monarchs should stop giving land to the herders, calling on the people to rise in support of Igboho.
At the end of the meeting, several WhatsApp groups were set up while two account numbers were given for people to donate money to support Igboho.
