By Akinwale Kasali
Pa Ayo Adebanjo, National Leader of Pan Yoruba Group, Afenifere, says the arrest and incarceration of Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo known as Sunday Igboho, shows that President Muhammadu Buhari is “intimidated by the soaring popularity of Igboho.”
Speaking on Arise TV, Adebanjo said the Federal Government was after the South-West self-determination activist because of his large followership, which is increasing everyday.
He said: “When they see the crowd that Igboho is pulling at every meeting, that is what is terrifying them. Can Buhari summon the crowd that Igboho is summoning each time he holds a meeting, even with the fact that he (Buhari) gives money to who will attend the meeting, that is a rented crowd?”
Adebanjo added that Igboho earned so much popularity because of Buhari’s failure to protect lives and property, most especially the mayhem unleashed on communities by rogue Fulani herdsmen which “the President pretended never happened, playing lip service to the incident.”
Adebanjo said he never knew Igboho until he rose to the defence of his people after Fulanis allegedly attacked them.
“They kidnapped the Oba (monarch) there. They kidnapped the children, and they raped the women.
“And the man rose in retaliation because all those people who did these havocs, neither the Federal Government nor the state government came to their aid and arrest the culprits.
“That was the action that caused the reaction of Igboho. Nobody knew Igboho in this country. I didn’t know him until this incident came about,” he said.
The elder statesman noted that he remained committed to the unity of Nigeria, despite his opposition to Igboho’s arrest by the Buhari Government.
“I have fought for the unity of this country in the last 70 years when Buhari was still in primary school. I have invested in one Nigeria.
“And my party has been leading the question of Nigeria that is united. Until Buhari came with this fraudulent constitution, and you want us to keep quiet. I will not keep quiet.
“Civilised people who know about extradition don’t extradite political refugees who know their lives are not safe in their country,” he said.
It would be recalled that only recently, Adebanjo described Buhari as a dictator, whose actions, he said, worsened injustice, marginalisation and brought about calls for secession and other agitations in the country.
He faulted the invasion of Igboho’s house by Security Agents, saying it was an infringement on his rights, and embarrassment of Nigeria before the rest of the world.
According to him, the DSS must explain the crime committed by Igboho that would warrant his arrest and extradition from Benin to Nigeria.
He maintained that the call for secession was not treason.
The Afenifere leader also said Igboho’s refusal to make himself available to the DSS was in order. “You’re looking for somebody’s life, and you’re asking him to come and surrender himself. Who will do that?”
Adebanjo said Igboho was a political refugee in Benin and that he didn’t commit any crime in Nigeria before he left the country.
“He didn’t commit any crime here. He didn’t waylay anybody. He didn’t kill anybody. He didn’t run away from anybody after committing a crime. He ran away for his life because of the power that wants to kill him because of his agitation.”
He said Buhari had muzzled everybody, including the Press. “There is a limit to the question you can ask now without them probing you,” he said.
