Security’s national duty, not ethnic battle, Igboho fires back at critics

…says campaign against kidnapping, killings targets criminals, not any ethnic group

By Adeola Badru

Yoruba Nation activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, widely known as Sunday Igboho, has insisted that his sustained advocacy for improved security across the South-West and other parts of Nigeria is directed solely at criminal elements threatening public safety and not at any ethnic nationality.

Igboho’s clarification came on Monday in response to a call by the Concerned Fulani People of Nigeria (CFPN), which urged President Bola Tinubu and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde to caution him over his comments on insecurity in the region.

Dismissing the group’s position as a deliberate misrepresentation of his long-held stance, the activist described the demand as a distraction from the urgent challenge of rising insecurity confronting communities across the country.

In a statement issued through his spokesman, Olayomi Koiki, Igboho stressed that the fight against kidnapping, banditry, violent attacks, rape and killings should transcend ethnic, religious and political considerations, urging Nigerians to unite behind efforts to restore peace and security nationwide.

The statement read: “It is obvious that since my agitation for improved security in the South-West and other parts of the country, I have never declared war against any ethnic group but have consistently voiced my position against criminal elements responsible for kidnapping, vicious killings, rape and violent attacks across Yoruba communities.“

“The call by this faceless CFPN is myopic, uninformed and ridiculous. Our concern and primary focus have always been the protection of innocent lives and the preservation of peace, security and justice.“

“We will never advocate hatred against any ethnic group. Our position has always been very clear: criminals should be identified, arrested and prosecuted by the law enforcement agencies regardless of their ethnic, religious and political inclinations because crime has no colour or race.“

“It is absolutely wrong and misleading to portray our reaction to security breaches in the South-West as ethnic profiling when the rights to life, freedom and economic livelihoods of our people are being threatened by mindless hoodlums who are obsessed with gruesome killings and kidnapping of innocent people in rural communities.”

The activist maintained that growing insecurity remained a national concern requiring collective action from citizens, communities and security institutions rather than divisive ethnic narratives.

He further commended the leadership of the nation’s security architecture for intensifying efforts against criminal networks operating across the country.

“I want to specifically commend the noble efforts of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), and heads of other security agencies for their sustained onslaught against criminals in the South-West and other parts of the nation.“

“While we would not hesitate to collaborate with security agencies in order to strengthen peace and safety in our communities in the South-West, the collective task of ensuring a secure environment in our society should not be left to the government and stakeholders in the security sector alone,” the statement stressed.

Igboho argued that individuals and groups calling on the government to caution him should instead channel their energies towards supporting stronger security measures aimed at dismantling criminal syndicates, protecting vulnerable communities and ensuring justice for victims of kidnapping and other violent crimes.

He reiterated that security challenges confronting Nigeria can only be overcome through national unity, effective law enforcement and a collective commitment to confronting criminality wherever it occurs, irrespective of ethnic or religious identity.

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