Prominent Yoruba nation agitator and youth leader, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has issued a two-hour ultimatum to Fulani elders in Igboho, Oyo State, demanding the immediate release of residents allegedly abducted by suspected bandits.
Adeyemo delivered the warning on Saturday during a meeting with Fulani community leaders at the palace of the town’s traditional ruler in Igboho, located in the Oke-Ogun area of the state.
Addressing the gathering in Yoruba, he accused suspected Fulani kidnappers of orchestrating a series of abductions in the area and blamed them for worsening insecurity in the community.
He also referenced a recent incident in which kidnappers reportedly killed a pregnant woman.
Expressing frustration over the recurring attacks, Adeyemo said residents could no longer remain passive while people were being abducted in their homeland.
According to him, the latest case involved the kidnapping of a woman, her children and a sibling, an incident that has heightened fear and anxiety among residents.
He alleged that the abductors initially demanded a ransom of N300 million before reducing it to N150 million.
However, he insisted that no payment would be made and called for the unconditional release of the victims.
Adeyemo warned that the captives must be freed within two hours, threatening confrontation if the demand was not met.
He further vowed to lead an operation into a nearby forest reserve, which he claimed serves as a hideout for the kidnappers, should the victims remain in captivity.
Calling on Fulani leaders in the community to intervene, Adeyemo urged them to prevail on those responsible for the abductions, maintaining that the perpetrators were known within the area.
He said he had previously exercised restraint because community leaders had not formally raised complaints, but noted that the latest incident had compelled him to take a firmer stance.
The meeting was attended by the town’s monarch, traditional chiefs and officers of the divisional police command, while a large number of residents gathered outside the palace to observe proceedings.
The development comes amid growing concern over insecurity in Oyo State, particularly the continued captivity of 39 schoolchildren and seven teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area.
The victims were kidnapped following coordinated attacks on three schools in the Ogbomoso axis on May 15, during which two people were reportedly killed at one of the affected institutions.
Earlier this month, Adeyemo alleged that Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde knows that he possesses the capacity to facilitate the rescue of the abducted schoolchildren but has failed to provide him with the necessary support.
He also claimed that the increasing wave of insecurity across the country was being manipulated by political actors and vowed to reveal the identities of individuals he alleged were backing terrorist activities.
