Ogun State Government has kept mute on Monday’s visit of Yoruba rights activist, Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho, to the state.
But the state government has denied reports that it had enlisted Igboho to fight criminal herdsmen in the state.
Igboho had on Monday made a brief stopover in Abeokuta, the state capital, on his way to the Yewa-North Local Government of the state, where criminal herdsmen have been having a field day oppressing the indigenes.
Addressing his supporters earlier in Abeokuta, he said, “I observe there is an injustice from the herdsmen because they know the powers that be in the Federal Government. They behave like the Yoruba are nobody. They kill, they kidnap our people, they rape our women. Any Fulani herdsman who engages in kidnapping will be flushed out.”
The activist assured that he would visit all parts of Yorubaland to ensure peace everywhere.
“The reason for our visit to Ogun State is to flush out killers herdsmen. We have not visited the governor; we will do that after we have flushed the Fulani herdsmen out of the state,” he said.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Kunle Somorin, on Monday, however, quoted the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Abdulwaheed Odusile, as denying news report credited to Remmy Hazzan, the Special Adviser on Public Communication to Governor Dapo Abiodun, adding that the report quoted the virtual interview out of context.
“In the interview, Hazzan had said that the state government would continue to work with all the stakeholders to ensure security of lives and property.
“Sadly, this statement was twisted to mean that the State had invited Mr Adeyemo (Igboho) to help curb insecurity. This is regrettable and totally misleading.”
The statement assured that the government would continue to attract and welcome all those with legitimate reasons to live and work in the state.
“At all times, the government will ensure that all security agencies and indeed all stakeholders operate within the ambit of the law and will neither welcome nor endorse any initiative that amounts to self-help or is outside the contemplation of the constitution,” it stated.