The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum has condemned the attempted arrest of Yoruba rights activist, Sunday Igboho, in Ibadan, Oyo State on Friday by a combined team of security forces, including the Department of State Services and Nigeria Police.
Igboho was on his way to Lagos for a scheduled meeting with a leader of Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, when the attempt to arrest him was made on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The group said the attempt to arrest Igboho further confirmed President Muhammadu Buhari’s alleged double laws for the Fulanis and non-Fulani.
It said while the likes of Abubakar Shekau, who heads a faction of the Boko Haram Terrorists group and Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, who has been meeting with bandits should be the focus of security operatives, they are running after people like Igboho who are defending themselves from attacks.
Reacting to the development, the SMBLF said: “We have noticed the media denial by the DSS of its involvement in the dastardly operation in the atmosphere of deregulated terror going on in a supposed democratic environment.
“It came as an embarrassing thing that as the show of shame was going on, the president was defending not cracking down on bandits because he is trying to avoid casualties.
“That is an admission of the soft care for bandits by the government and pro-bandit supporters who have been poking their fingers in the faces of non-bandit Nigerians.
“The president wasn’t aware of such caution in using maximum force against ENDSARS which they celebrated in Kaduna.
“It is also a demonstration of two sets of rules in the country, one for Fulani bandits and another for Non-Fulani communities who are being treated like conquered people.
“If there is still serious authority in Nigeria, it is people like Shekau, Gumi and troublers of Nigeria who should be under security scrutiny now and not those who have committed no offence known to law outside raising their voices against Fulani Genocide going on across Nigeria.
We somehow feel it’s not too late to persuade Buhari to show that he is still the President of a United Nigeria by changing gear to run an inclusive country with same rules of engagement for all nationalities to restore confidence in the system.
“It has also come to our notice how bandits in the north are turning vehicles bringing foodstuffs to the south back in some unhidden blockage suggestive of war measures.
“We just hope they know the implication if Southern communities for i starting to block fuel products for instance from going to the north and its attendant implications.
“They should be careful of what they are throwing as they don’t know what their opponents are holding.
“We appreciate the noble intervention of the Middle Belt Forum and their sense of responsibility in condemning this despicable measure.”
The statement was signed by Yinka Odumakin for the South West, Chief Guy Ikokwu for the South East Senator Bassey Henshaw for the South South and Dr. Isuwa Dogo for the Middle Belt.
