Stop Bullying Yoruba Monarchs, Youths Warn Ighoho, Supporters

Youths in Ogun State have warned the self-acclaimed Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly called “Sunday Igboho” and his supporters against bullying and attacking Yoruba monarchs over the agitation for the actualisation of the Yoruba nation.

There have been verbal attacks on the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, on social media for expressing their views on the call for Yoruba secession.

The latest attack was launched on the Akarigbo and Paramount Ruler of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi.

Igboho’s loyalists had last week accused the monarch of ordering the police to arrest and shoot participants of the awareness campaign organised by a group of Yoruba nation agitators.

The supporters in video clips posted on social media also accused the first-class monarch of collecting money from the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to disrupt the activities of the agitators.

But the youths, under the auspices of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Sagamu branch, Ogun State, noted that there is a need for Igboho to caution his followers against their continuous disregard of Yoruba traditional institutions.

They expressed their displeasure towards the attitude of Igboho and his supporters at a press conference and solidarity march held in Sagamu, in support of the Akarigbo.

The coordinator NYCN Sagamu, Idris Awoderu, described Igboho’s supporters as “real enemies of Yorubaland and children of no moral values” who engage in the blackmail of Yoruba monarchs “to get public sympathy for their naive and unprogressive agenda”.

‘Igboho’s allegations watery’

He also described the allegations by Igboho’s supporters on Akarigbo as not only “fake and untrue”, but also “watery and unfounded”.

He said, “These allegations are watery, unfounded and have no element of truth, as it is full of mischief and cheap propaganda coming from children of no moral values in order to get public sympathy for their naive and unprogressive agenda.

“We have no choice but to describe them as the real enemies of the Yoruba race.

“Let me also state categorically clear without mincing words that it is a cooked fallacy that Oba Akarigbo did not give the Yoruba nation agitators audience at his Palace: the truth is that Oba Adewale Ajayi was out of the country two weeks ago and yet to return.

“So, how can someone who is out of the town when you visit deny you audience or physical attention?

“It is an absolute lie of the century to say that the Akarigbo ordered the police to arrest or shoot the agitators or protesters. We challenge them to come out with proofs via the same medium.

“It is a great insult on the good people of Remoland for anyone to allege that our own Akarigbo collected money from Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu or any man or a woman to disrupt the activities and the event of these naïve and ignorant blackmailers.

“In line with the above, I stand to say on behalf of the entire youth of Sagamu home and diaspora, that those who are behind this media campaigns and attacks against Kabiyesi Allayeluwa, the Alase Ikeji Orisa of Remoland, are the true bastards of Yorubaland.”

The group however demanded a public apology from Sunday Igboho over the comment by his loyalists.

The youths noted that Igboho should also publicly disassociate himself and his Yoruba nation agenda from those raising the allegations against the Akarigbo.