A former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has been described as a man with reputation for causing disunity in Yorubaland.
The Oodua People’s Congress said this in a statement on Tuesday following Fani-Kayode’s claim that the Fulani warlord arrested in Oyo State, Iskilu Wakili, by the OPC on Sunday was not the real target.
The Oyo State Coordinator of the OPC, Rotimi Olumo, in the statement said Fani-Kayode’s claim on Wakili was untrue and a misinformation taken too far.
Olumo described the former Minister as a spoiler, an agent of destruction and a political feather weight that is reputed for changing correct narratives and misinforming the public.
Olumo said Fani-Kayode’s utterances merited no response, but because it came at a time when the chief tormentor of Ibarapa people was still in custody, it is reasonable to respond and clear the air on the issue.
He said the ex-Minister remains one of the politicians that thrive in telling lies and misinforming the public.
He said: “Fani- Kayode has a reputation for using his social media page to foment trouble and cause disunity in Yorubaland.
“He had once said that Yoruba language was Anago.
“How can you take such a person too serious?
“I remembered former president Olusegun Obasanjo had said it once that Fani-Kayode can do anything for money and survival.
“He lives in Abuja, romancing with the North, yet he was the first to refute the claim that the kidnaper was not Wakili.
“Where did he get his information?
“With his untenable claim, I know and I am sure that the former minister is doing the bid of his paymasters, who are majorly from the north.
“He is the undisputed spokesperson of any politician that is ready to feather his nest.
“He should be warned to stop drumming the beat of disunity in Yorubaland.
“Fani-Kayode was one of the few people that called and congratulated our leader, the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Abiodun Ige Adams, on Monday on the success of the operation of the OPC, and the following day, he twisted the story refuting the claim that the man apprehended wasn’t Wakili.
“Fani-Kayode is very close to prominent politicians in the north, yet none of them trusted him because they know that he is purely a political agent that cannot be trusted.
“He does everything to change every story.
“How can you take such a man so serious?”
Narrating his experiences during the raid in Igangan, Olumo stated also that the operation that led to Wakili’s arrest and three other persons in Igangan lasted for over five hours, with a fierce battle ensuing between the OPC, the joint security operatives and the kidnappers.
However, in the end, Wakili was apprehended, but his son, Abu, escaped during the duel, using cows as cover.
He added: “Even the Ayete monarch, His Royal Majesty, Oba Emmanuel Okeniyi, and a prominent group in Igangan also corroborated our claims that Wakili is their major problem in Igangan, applauding the OPC for rising to the occasion at the most important moment.”
The OPC chieftain advised well-meaning Nigerians, especially prominent Yoruba leaders and groups, not to trust Fani-Kayode with any information that is of national interest because he has the tendency to spill the beans.
He said: “I am using this opportunity to advice my brother, Sunday Igboho, to be wary of Fani-Kayode’s antic and deceit because he is so smart in causing disunity in Yorubaland.”
Olumo urged South West Governors, traditional rulers and all leaders and stakeholders to support the OPC and the South West Security Stakeholders Group and other security outfits in ensuring that the zone is safe for residents.
He said: “Wakili’s story is a testimony of what OPC can achieve as a group with formidable structures across the country.
“So, in our desire to rid the South West of criminal herders and kidnappers, we are determined to complement the efforts of the police and other security outfits.”