The Northern Elders Forum and the Arewa Consultative Forum have asked the Federal Government to caution Sunday Igboho after his reported ultimatum to Fulani leaders in Oyo State over the abduction of a pregnant woman and her relatives.
The warning followed a viral video in which Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, reportedly gave Fulani leaders in Igboho, Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State, two hours to secure the release of abducted residents. The victims were identified in reports as Mrs Kuburat Omowumi, her son and other relatives. The PUNCH reported that the Oyo State Police Command and the Oorelope Local Government chairman dismissed claims that the victims had regained freedom, saying rescue efforts were still ongoing.
The matter has raised fresh concern over ethnic tension, insecurity and the growing use of self-help in communities hit by kidnapping. It has also renewed the debate over the role of non-state actors in local security matters.
Sunday Igboho Ultimatum Sparks Northern Reaction
The controversy began after reports said Igboho accused some unnamed Fulani men of involvement in kidnappings around the area. Vanguard reported earlier that the abductors initially demanded N300m before the ransom was said to have been reduced to N150m.
It was earlier reported by New Daily Prime that Igboho made the demand while addressing Fulani elders at the palace of the monarch in his hometown.
But northern groups said the matter should not be turned into an ethnic confrontation. They argued that kidnapping is a crime and must be handled by security agencies through investigation, arrest and prosecution.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Arewa Consultative Forum, Prof Tukur Muhammad-Baba, said the reported ultimatum was dangerous and could worsen Nigeria’s already fragile security situation. He said no private citizen or group has the legal power to issue orders that could threaten the rights of other Nigerians.
According to him, treating a whole ethnic group as guilty because of the alleged actions of some criminals is unfair and unsafe. He said such conduct could encourage reprisals in other parts of the country.
Muhammad-Baba also said the rise of ethnic champions was partly caused by the failure of government to secure lives and property. He argued that when the state fails to protect people, local actors often step in and present themselves as defenders of their communities.
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Northern Elders Say Crime Has No Tribe
The Northern Elders Forum also criticised the reported ultimatum. Its spokesman, Prof Abubakar Jiddere, condemned the abduction but said it was wrong to blame Fulani people as a group without proof.
He said Nigeria was already facing serious challenges and that public figures must speak with care. Jiddere said statements made in moments of anger could heat up the country and put innocent people at risk.
He also argued that Fulani communities have suffered heavily from banditry, cattle rustling and kidnapping in northern states such as Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina and Kebbi. According to him, many Fulani families have been displaced by the same criminal networks that attack other Nigerians.
The NEF spokesman said every Nigerian has equal rights under the law, regardless of religion, tribe or place of origin. He said a Fulani resident in one part of the country should not be blamed for a crime allegedly committed elsewhere.
His position was also shared by other northern and Fulani groups, who said criminal responsibility should be individual, not communal.
The Coalition of Northern Groups said while the kidnapping should be condemned, the response must not involve threats, ethnic labels or collective punishment. Its National Coordinator, Jamilu Charanchi, said sustainable security can only come through intelligence-led policing and respect for the law.
Fulani Groups Ask Tinubu, Makinde To Act
Some Fulani groups also called on President Bola Tinubu and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde to intervene. They said the Federal Government and state authorities must prevent the matter from growing into a wider ethnic crisis.
The National President of Kautal Fulaku Fulbe, Dr Muhammad Hussaini, described the comments attributed to Igboho as harmful to peaceful coexistence. He said no ethnic group should be ordered out of any community because of the actions of a few people.
The Kulen Allah Cattle Rearers Association of Nigeria also rejected any form of eviction threat. Its president, Khalil Muhammad Bello, said the Nigerian Constitution allows citizens to live and do lawful business in any part of the country.
Bello said farmers and pastoralists had lived together for many years and depended on each other for trade, food supply and local economic activity. He said leaders and influential voices must avoid words that could destroy that relationship.
Igboho Denies Targeting Any Ethnic Group
Igboho, however, denied declaring war on any ethnic group. In a statement issued through his spokesman, Olayomi Koiki, he said his campaign was directed at criminals involved in kidnapping, killings, rape, banditry and attacks on communities in the South-West.
He said it was wrong to present his concern about insecurity in Yoruba communities as ethnic hatred. According to him, criminals should be arrested and prosecuted, no matter their tribe, religion or political connection.
Igboho also called for cooperation between citizens and security agencies. He praised the police, the Department of State Services and other security bodies for operations against criminals in the South-West and other parts of the country.
His latest comments come years after he became one of the most visible figures in the Yoruba Nation agitation. Reuters reported that he was arrested in Benin Republic in 2021 after leaving Nigeria, while Channels Television reported that he returned to Nigeria in February 2024 after about three years away.
Afenifere Renews Call For State Police
The pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, also reacted to the insecurity in Oke-Ogun. Its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, said kidnapping and killings in the area were unacceptable and must stop.
Ajayi urged the government and security agencies to act fast to rescue those in captivity. He also renewed Afenifere’s call for state police, saying local security structures should be strengthened down to the community level.
The Oyo incident has again exposed the deep fear in many rural communities, where residents often complain that kidnappers operate with little resistance. But the warnings from northern groups show that anger over insecurity can quickly become a national problem when it is framed along ethnic lines.
For now, the main task before the authorities is clear: rescue the victims, arrest the kidnappers and prevent the crisis from turning into another round of ethnic suspicion.
