Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Yoruba Nation activist Sunday Adeyemo, widely known as Sunday Igboho, issued a sweeping and uncompromising security directive during a high-stakes visit to Saki in Oyo State on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, declaring all forests in the region a no-go area for criminal elements and vowing to expose what he described as a politically motivated kidnapping conspiracy aimed at destabilising President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration. Addressing a gathering of community leaders, traditional rulers, and residents, Igboho drew a direct parallel between the current spate of abductions in Oyo State and the insecurity that plagued former President Goodluck Jonathan's tenure, insisting that the same political forces were at work to make the country ungovernable for President Tinubu. "We don't want anyone in our forests; anyone found there is a criminal and bears the risk. I need the support of our Obas. This kidnapping is political, just like under Jonathan's administration, and we won't allow it to happen to President Bola Tinubu," Igboho declared.
The activist's visit to Saki came amid a deepening security crisis in Oyo State, triggered by the mass abduction of 46 individuals—comprising 39 pupils and seven teachers—from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15, 2026. The coordinated attacks on Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota, Community Grammar School, and L.A. Primary School in Esiele, resulted in the beheading of a mathematics teacher, Michael Oyedokun, and the killing of another teacher, Joel Adesiyan. The incident has sparked widespread outrage, forced the closure of schools across the state, and led to the imposition of a dusk-to-dawn curfew on ten local government areas surrounding the Old Oyo National Park.
Igboho's assertion that the kidnapping is politically motivated echoes statements he made earlier this month during a meeting with the National Association of Nigerian Students, where he claimed to possess information about politicians sponsoring criminal groups operating in parts of the state. "I know the politicians behind them, and if they do not stop perpetrating their evil acts, I will mention them all. The politicians behind them are the ones giving them ammunition and money," Igboho had said. He further alleged that some political actors were deliberately creating instability to undermine President Tinubu's administration, stating: "The same thing they did to Jonathan is what they are doing to Tinubu. They want to make the country ungovernable for him. They use propaganda and fake news to discourage supporters of the President".
The activist's Saki visit also coincided with a dramatic escalation of tensions between Igboho and Fulani communities in Oyo State. Just days earlier, on June 20, Igboho had issued a two-hour ultimatum to Fulani leaders in Igboho town, Oorelope Local Government Area, demanding the release of a pregnant woman, her sister, and a child who had been abducted. In a viral video, Igboho accused some members of the Fulani community of being behind a series of kidnappings in the area and warned that failure to secure the victims' release could lead to unrest. "You cannot be kidnapping people in our land. You kidnapped a pregnant woman, demanded ransom and killed the person who brought the ransom. In my fatherland!" he said. The activist alleged that the kidnappers initially demanded N300 million before reducing it to N150 million, and he threatened to storm a forest reserve where he claimed the victims were being held if they were not released.
The ultimatum triggered a fierce backlash from Fulani socio-cultural groups, including the Concerned Fulani People of Nigeria, which called on President Tinubu and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde to intervene. The group warned that Igboho's inflammatory remarks could heighten tensions and undermine efforts to maintain peace and security, while also opposing what it described as the tendency to associate criminal acts with entire ethnic communities. "Criminal activities such as kidnapping, banditry and terrorism should be addressed through lawful investigation and prosecution of suspects rather than attributing responsibility to ethnic groups," the group stated. The Arewa Consultative Forum and the Northern Elders Forum also weighed in, warning that Nigeria risked sliding into anarchy if the Federal Government failed to rein in the activist. ACF spokesman Prof Tukur Muhammad-Baba described the ultimatum as "unconstitutional, dangerous and capable of worsening the country's security challenges".
The Oyo State Police Command, meanwhile, has dismissed reports that the abducted family was released following Igboho's ultimatum, insisting that the victims remained in captivity and that rescue efforts were ongoing. The command's spokesperson, CSP Adewale Osifeso Ayanlade, stated that the police had taken notice of the viral video and related online contents but had not confirmed Igboho's involvement in any rescue operation. This conflicting narrative has further complicated the security situation, with residents expressing frustration over the perceived failure of authorities to secure the release of the abducted victims.
Despite the controversies surrounding his methods, Igboho's Saki visit has resonated with many residents who see him as a last resort in the fight against the kidnappings that have paralysed rural communities. His demand for the support of traditional rulers underscores a growing recognition that community-based security initiatives may be essential to complement the efforts of overstretched security agencies. "We don't want anyone in our forests," he declared, framing the fight against insecurity as a communal responsibility that transcends ethnic and political divisions.
For now, Sunday Igboho has drawn a line in the sand. His message to kidnappers and their alleged political sponsors is unambiguous: the forests of Oyo State will no longer serve as sanctuaries for criminals, and those who seek to destabilise the Tinubu administration through insecurity will be exposed and confronted. Whether his declaration will translate into tangible security improvements remains to be seen, but the activist has succeeded in placing the issue of political sponsorship of crime firmly at the centre of the national conversation. As the families of the 46 abducted victims continue to wait in anguish, the people of Saki and the wider Oke-Ogun region watch with cautious hope, praying that the activist's bold words will finally bring an end to the nightmare that has engulfed their communities.
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