Attack on Ooni: Afenifere, Yoruba Leaders Scold Igboho 

By Tosin Olatokunbo

Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popular as Sunday Igboho has bowed to pressure from prominent southwest leaders to apologise to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi. The Igboho, Ibarapa, Oyo state born activist had on Tuesday, during a virtual meeting with some Yoruba in the diaspora, attacked the monarch as a traitor and Fulani slave.

Igboho also attacked other Yoruba leaders, including Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a former Lagos state governor and All Progressives Congress National Leader and Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state for frustrating his efforts and other well meaning Yoruba to flush out killer Fulani herdsmen from the region. He also did not spare the Oluwo of Iwo, in the attack, for describing himself as an Emir.

He has now apologized “I have called our father, the Ooni of Ife and I have apologised to him. When I said those things, I was carried away by my emotions. The killing of my people by Fulani herdsmen and the way our fathers in Yoruba land are handling the issue is giving me great concern. I am a Yoruba man and I know it is not in our culture to insult the elders. I have called the Kabiyesi and I have apologised to him. You can call him to confirm. Once again, I want to beg our royal father to forgive me. It was a slip of tongue,” Igboho said.

The attack on the Ooni, did not go down well with many people who considered Igboho’s action to be disrespectful to the monarch and capable of destroying the united front against the Fulani criminals.

Many Nigerians, particularly Yoruba political, religious and traditional rulers had supported the activist after he gave a quit notice to Fulani herdsmen in Igagan, Oyo state and eventually went to enforce the order after the seven days ultimatum expired.

His attack on Ooni, however, shocked these leaders who believe that the activist needed to be reined in quickly before making more statements capable of causing tension in the south west.

Igboho had lashed at Ooni and those he considered as traitors “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.

“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.

“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.

The magazine learnt that that the attack on the Ife monarch rattled leaders in the region, so much so that, leaders of Afenifere, the Yoruba social political group, the Council of traditional rulers from the six states in the region as well as politicians in the APC and PDP, called the activist privately, to express their dissatisfaction with his action.

Apart from Femi Fani Kayode, a former minister of Aviation who has publicly scolded the activist and apologized on his behalf to the Ooni, some traditional rulers, the magazine was told have reached out to Igboho to douse the tension caused by his attack on the monarch.

“I just spoke with Sunday Igboho and he confirmed to me that what he said about our revered Ooni of Ife was said in the heat of the moment. He expressed his regrets and I was relieved to hear that. To err is human and to forgive is divine. I appeal to Kabiyesi to forgive him. For the record, let me state clearly and categorically that no Ooni of Ife, whether living or dead, has ever been a slave of the Fulani and neither will they ever be,” Fani-Kayode said.

The former minister is from Ife and a staunch supporter of the activist.

‘Some Afenifere leaders have called Sunday to berate him for his disrespect to Ooni of Ife, who’s regarded as the custodian of Yoruba culture and tradition. We respect our Obas in Yoraba land and will not allow their image to be dragged on the mud by any young man,” a prominent leader of the social/ political group said on Thursday.

The source said Igboho’s comment is capable of weakening the formidable front the leaders of the region are trying to form against the threat to their livelihood by the Fulani pastoralists. “if care is not taking, such careless statement could set our people against each other and when such happens, it would be very difficult to join hands to confront the menace. Nobody in Yoruba land will be happy when their Obas are being attacked,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Gofundme account opened for the purpose of raising funds for the activist to implement his project of ridding the south west of killer herdsmen has raised over N4 million within 14 hours. The fudraiser was initiated by Maureen Badejo, a United Kingdom based activist to help Igboho raise N50 million after he complained of paucity of funds.