THE leader of Yoruba separatist group, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, says the Department of State Service (DSS) planted arms in his Ibadan residence or harvested them from its armoury.
Igboho who has been declared wanted by the DSS made the accusation yesterday in a statement by his media aide, Olayomi Koiki.
Recall that on Thursday, the DSS invaded the Ibadan residence of Sunday Igboho where two of his aides were killed and 13 others arrested.
Arms and charms displayed during a press briefing were said to have been recovered from Igboho’s house.
The DSS said it acted based on intelligence report that Igboho stored arms in his residence.
But debunking the DSS claim, Igboho said the arms shown by the secret service were not his.
His words: “Nigerians and the international community should please be aware that the security operatives that invaded my home either planted the ammunitions being paraded in the media in my home or harvest them from their armoury to frame me. The arms paraded are not mine; they are government magic. I protect myself with traditional powers, not with guns.”
Igboho said the attack on his residence was unwarranted as he did not commit any crime.
He said his focus had always been to stop the atrocities of criminal herdsmen in the South-West of Nigeria.
“Nigerians and the world at large are aware of my resistance to the incessant killings, raping and kidnapping of my people in Southwest Nigeria by armed Fulani herdsmen,” he said.
“The failure of President Muhammadu Buhari and his government to curb the criminal activities of the murderous herdsmen necessitated my intervention. I ordinarily would not have intervened if government had lived up to its responsibility of securing the Southwest and Nigeria at large from the criminal activities of the President’s ethnic men.
“Of public knowledge, my intervention has not led to any loss of life or bloodshed. My means of curbing criminality is to chase the criminal Fulani herdsmen out of their hideouts in company of the people of the affected communities.
“It is because of the foreseen government persecution that videos of such interventions were transmitted live on social media. Nigerians, the security operatives, and the presidency are aware that I have never moved against the peaceful Fulanis and other tribes living peacefully in the Southwest. My unjust persecution — for defending my people and community — is therefore surprising and unwarranted.”
He stated further: “Nigerians and the international community should please note that I am a law-abiding citizen without blemish. I advise President Buhari to, in the interest of Nigerians that voted him to power, order his henchmen to desist from using falsehood and unholy tactics to soil my name. Such energy should be devoted to taming the herdsmen and bandits freely committing heinous crimes across Nigeria with impunity because their kinsman is in power.
“Yoruba people would not be demanding for a nation if government had lived up to its responsibilities. Self-determination is not a crime and all efforts to silence us and acquire our ancestral land for local and foreign criminal herdsmen will fail.
“Many Ken Saro-Wiwa arose after Nigerian government unjustly executed the non-violent activist. Those that emerged after him confronted government and almost brought Nigeria to its knees. I am another Saro-Wiwa.
“Therefore, I advise President Buhari to learn from the mistake of past governments. I am not Nigeria’s problem and should not be framed up or intimidated for contributing my quota to ensure peace reigns in my region and country.”
