Gani Adams: Yorubas constitute 25 to 30 percent of security threats in the south-west

Gani Adams, Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, has alleged that Yorubas constitute about 30 percent of security threats in the south-west.

Speaking when he featured on Arise TV on Tuesday, Adams said he is not in agreement with the way Sunday Adeyemo, a Yoruba youth leader popularly referred to as Sunday Igboho, handled the crisis between herdsmen and residents of Igangan, Ibarapa north local government area (LGA) of Oyo state.

Igboho made the headlines after he issued a quit notice to herders in Ibarapa.

According to Adams, findings by the vigilante groups in the region revealed that some Yorubas support kidnapping activities in the south-west.

“The security threats we are having in the south-west now, our people (Yoruba) constitute about 25 to 30 percent of the security threats. When some Fulani herdsmen that were arrested around Ilesha by the OPC, vigilante and Amotekun were interrogated, we gathered that the person who prepared food for them is a Yoruba person. We also gathered that the person who provided information about the person to be kidnapped is a Yoruba person,” he said.

“It means we have to apply strategy to the security threats. Where is the problem coming from? Who are the evil ones among us? If you want to fight insecurity conventionally, the only way out is to support Amotekun.”

Adams, who said Igboho did not consult him before taking action, explained that though he does not agree with what happened, “it would be very difficult to blame him because the Yoruba is hungry for liberation”.

“It is as a result of provocation from the illegal and criminal activities of some Fulani herdsmen. But for the past seven years, we now witnessed some strange things — the aliens in the region perpetrating evil activities — and we have been raising the alarm so that we will not take laws into our hands,” Adams said.

“The coming of Sunday Igboho last week is as a result of pressure from his people in Oke-Ogun and Ibarapa. You know, Sunday comes from Igboho, which is in Oke-Ogun. I think there was pressure on him as he too is a strong force in Yorubaland that has an antecedent on the issue of security that can assist them.

“And that is why it will be very hard for any Yoruba person to condemn his activity or what happened. Although the last time I met him physically was in 2013, we are not very close. Although we are not in agreement on what happened, it would be very difficult to blame him because the Yoruba is hungry for liberation.

“It is not only Sunday Igboho the Nigerian security operatives have targeted for arrest. I am the number one person targeted for arrest. I was targeted for political reasons and I was thinking that I should be very careful. On the issue of Sunday Igboho, some politicians have infiltrated it.

“The same people who attacked and condemned us in 2015 are now coming to portray themselves as activists to use Sunday Igboho who genuinely backs us to now malign me to dent my image. I risked everything for Yorubaland. How can Sunday Igboho use his braveness of one day to destroy somebody who has been in the struggle for 28 years? Yorubas always destroy their warrior at the end of the day.”