Former governor of Ekiti state, Ayodele Fayose says any attempt to arrest Sunday Adeyemo, a youth leader better known as Sunday Igboho, will escalate the unrest brewing in the region.
He rather urged Gov. Seyi Makinde to dialogue with the worrior.
On Friday, IGP Mohammed Adamu ordered the arrest of Igboho over the quit notice given to Fulani settlers in Oyo state.
Seyi Makinde, Oyo governor, also directed Ngozi Onadeko, commissioner of police in the state, to arrest persons found guilty of stoking ethnic tension.
In a Twitter post on Saturday, Fayose advised Makinde to deploy dialogue and meet with all stakeholders in order to bring the situation under control.
“Gov Seyi Makinde should rather use dialogue and persuasion instead of escalating tension in his own State by calling for the arrest of Sunday Adeyemo or anyone at this time,” Fayose said.
“If FG and some governors could ‘dialogue’ with Boko Haram terrorists, Gov Makinde calling all stakeholders to a round-table discussion will not be a misplaced action.
“Any attempt to arrest anyone will cause further threat to the already fragile peace in the West and the country as a whole. Above all, any unchecked escalation may lead to a state of emergency.”
Also, the National President of Yoruba Youth Socio-Cultural Association, Olalekan Hammed, however, said that Mr Igboho’s arrest will lead to a crisis in Oyo State.
“Ibarapa youths may react violently if Sunday Igboho is arrested. They will also lose hope in both the federal and the state government.
“Ibarapa and other communities across Yoruba land seriously need to be guaranteed safety. So, any attempt to arrest Igboho will make the people think the government wants the menace of bandits in their communities to continue.”
Mr Alao-Akala, who is the current chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Elders Advisory Council in Oyo State, said this in an interview with journalists at his Awosika, Ibadan residence.
Mr Alao-Akala said the Council of State meeting, comprising of all former governors of the state, both military and civilian was where matters on policies are made.
“Governor Seyi Makinde needs help in the area of maintaining law and order in the polity. Hence, he should not shy away from that fact.
“He needs to sit down and brainstorm with people who have been there before him to share from their wealth of experience on how certain things are done especially in the area of security.
“Take for instance, at the national level, the president meets periodically with former heads of state and former presidents and all former chief justices, among others, at the Nigerian Council of State meeting to review activities of government and seek for advise and interventions where need be.
“This is exactly what Governor Makinde needs in Oyo State at the moment. The peace and stability of the state is a collective responsibility of all. We are all stakeholders in the Oyo State project.”
In addendum, former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode says, “It would be dangerous, reckless & counter productive for Buhari to ARREST or KILL Sunday Igboho.
“When the Northern youths demanded that Igbos should leave the north no-one was arrested. Why should Sunday be arrested or killed for asking KILLER Fulani herdsmen to leave SW?” He continued.
“I advise the FG to tread softly because Sunday has the full support of the Yoruba nation because he has spoken for the people. Kill him & you make him a martyr for Oduduwa, arrest him & you make him the greatest hero of the Yoruba since independence. Whichever way he wins.
“The way to solve the problem is to arrest the herdsmen that kill & kidnap our people in the SW & not to arrest or kill those that are standing up & speaking for their victims. Sunday did not ask for ALL Fulanis to leave SW. He asked for the killers, terrorists & kidnappers amongst them to leave Ibarapa & the Yoruba people LOVE him for it. Is that a crime?
“As long as he maintains the peace & does not indulge in or encourage any violence I do not see what he has done wrong? In 1999 when Gani Adams was rising up I identified him as a young man to watch. I wrote an essay about him and I said his courage would take him far. I was proved right.
“Today I identify Sunday Igboho who has stood up against wickedness, injustice & apartheied in our land when other Yoruba leaders were too timid to stand. I commend his courage.” He concluded.
