Igboho’s conduct, a sacrilege — Ooni

… I’m not fit to disrespect Ooni —Igboho

…As supporters raise N4.9m for purchase of buses

…He must operate within the law —Tunde Bakare

…Stop insulting Yoruba leaders, Agbekoya warns him

By Dapo Akinrefon & Shina Abubakar, with agency reports

FOLLOWING what many described as an unguarded statement against him and other monarchs, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, yesterday, described the utterances of self-acclaimed freedom fighter, Mr. Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, as a sacrilege to the Oduduwa throne, but said he has been forgiven.

This came on a day Adeyemo, yesterday, apologised to the Ooni over his utterances.

On its part, the Agbekoya Farmers Association, yesterday, reacted to remarks credited to Igboho, warning him to desist from insulting traditional rulers, elders and politicians of the South-West.

Also speaking, Serving Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, in Lagos, Pastor Tunde Bakare, said that the rights activist must act within the ambits of the law to avert an inter-tribal crisis in the country.

This came as a GoFundMe campaign has been launched for Igboho for the procurement of buses.

Igboho begs Ooni

Igboho in a viral video vented that the Ooni of Ife along with other Yoruba leaders have failed in speaking truth to power.

In his retraction video, the freedom fighter said he didn’t mean to disrespect the Ooni.

He said: “I apologise if it is perceived as disrespect. I apologise to Yoruba at large, I have spoken with the Ooni and I am not fit to disrespect his royal majesty. On kidnapping and invasion of the Yorubaland, we must all stand up to it. We must prove that we have gallant and patriotic people in the southwest.

“There are many powerful people, more powerful than I am in Lagos, Ibadan, Osun and other areas, we cannot afford to fold our arms and put the Yoruba nation into shame.”

  Igboho has been forgiven—Ooni’s aide

But reacting to Igboho’s outbursts, the monarch’s Director of Media and Public Affairs, Moses Olafare, said the Ooni of Ife has forgiven Adeyemo after tendering a public apology.

Olafare said: “Sunday Igboho remains a son to the Ooni  and he had already forgiven him as he had tendered an apology via a video clip he produced via social media yesterday evening.

“Before tendering the apology, it was the Olugbon of Ile-Igbon that first called and informed Arole Oodua on the phone that he had scolded Sunday on phone on his misdeeds and that, he would soon tender an apology to him on the matter. Sunday Igboho later released a video in which he tendered the apology.

“Even though the way and manner, Sunday behaved was sacrilege to the Oduduwa throne but he has already apologized and I can confirm that Arole Oodua has forgiven him, because, there is no perfection in humanity. Sunday is a human being like a normal human being who could misbehave as well.

READ ALSO: Ooni charges FG to salvage nation’s dwindling economy

“As the father of all, the Arole Oduduwa Olofin Adimula, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II remains his father who had even identified with him in the past two weeks he has begun with the struggle and he is still solidly behind him for the liberation of the Yorubas from criminal herdsmen who  adamantly terrorize our land.”

Stop insulting Yoruba leaders, Agbekoya warns Igboho

Also castigating Mr. Adeyemo, Agbekoya, in a statement by its President-General, Chief Kamorudeen Okikiola warned Igboho to apologize to those he insulted.

Okikiola said: “he should apologise to our revered traditional ruler, the Ooni of Ife; APC National leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Seyi Makinde because in Yoruba land, we don’t tolerate children, who are rude to elders, no matter the situation or circumstance. Even if an elder does something wrong, a young one should not take it upon himself to insult an elder.

“Sunday Adeyemo should not see himself as the only one fighting against armed Fulani herdsmen, kidnappers and bandits, rather, he must realize that all sons and daughters of Yoruba land are fighting the battle against these criminals.

“We are all in the battle together and together in unity, we will defeat them

“Agbekoya is ever ready to demolish any incursions of the enemies in Southwest.”

Igboho must operate within the law—Tunde Bakare

Also speaking, Pastor Bakare, who said he planned to meet with Igboho soon, stressed that indiscriminate violence was not the way to handle the current herdsmen crisis rocking parts of the country.

Bakare, who spoke on Arise TV’s The Morning Show, said: “Igboho looks like a man who wants to fight for his people because they were murdered and raped but he must operate within the ambits of the law.

“Indiscriminate violence is an ill-wind that will blow no one any good and remember before you attack the Fulani in the South-West, Yoruba and other ethnic nationalities are living in their communities too and if they open fire on them, it will be so indiscriminate and we must avert it.”

The cleric also said that the Ooni of Ife, other monarchs and leaders of thought in Yorubaland must be respected.

His words: “It is an ill-wind and we must avert it before it gets out of hands. I am glad that he has apologised. The ancient stool of Ile-Ife, the Ooni of Ife must be respected and all Obas should be respected and no one should drag them or their names in the mud.”

While he called for an end to open grazing to stop the herdsmen and farmers clashes rocking parts of the country, he said: “The government needs to pass laws, property laws must be respected and all these pastoralists need to register so that you can know who they are and where they are going. It is a private business and it must not generate all the kinds of heat that it has generated right now.

“Let’s be very careful not to tear this country apart and I am appealing to men of goodwill to rise to the occasion.

Supporters raise N4.9m for purchase of buses

Meanwhile, A GoFundMe campaign has been launched for Igboho for the procurement of buses.

The campaign, which was launched on Wednesday, has, so far, raised N4.9 million (£9,500), out of the targeted N51.7 million (£100,000) in 19 hours.

The campaign was launched by one Maureen Badejo with the purpose stated as “purchase of buses for Sunday Igboho.”

A check by TheCable  on the GoFundMe website showed that 265 donors have contributed to the campaign.

Vanguard News Nigeria

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