Yoruba nation agitator and youth leader, Sunday Adeyemo, has issued a two-hour ultimatum to Fulani elders in his hometown of Igboho, Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State, demanding the release of residents allegedly abducted by suspected bandits.
Adeyemo issued the ultimatum on Saturday while addressing Fulani community leaders at the palace of the traditional ruler of Igboho.
Speaking in Yoruba, he accused suspected Fulani kidnappers of being responsible for a series of abductions in the area, including the alleged killing of a pregnant woman.
According to him, the latest incident involved the abduction of a woman, her children and her sibling, an incident that has heightened anxiety among residents.
He alleged that the kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of N300 million before reducing it to N150 million. However, he insisted that no ransom would be paid and demanded the immediate release of the victims.
“I am giving them two hours. They must return the woman, her children and sibling whom they kidnapped overnight,” he said, warning that failure to release them within the stipulated time could escalate tensions in the community.
Adeyemo also threatened to storm a forest reserve where he claimed the kidnappers were camped if the abducted persons were not released.
He called on Fulani leaders in the community to intervene and ensure the victims regained their freedom, alleging that those behind the kidnappings were known within the area.
The activist said he had previously exercised restraint because community elders had not formally raised concerns but maintained that the latest incident had gone too far.
The meeting was attended by the town’s traditional ruler, community chiefs and officers from the divisional police command, while residents gathered outside the palace.
The development comes amid growing concerns over insecurity in Oyo State, particularly the continued captivity of 39 schoolchildren and seven teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area.
On May 15, armed men attacked three schools in the Ogbomoso axis of the state, with two people reportedly killed in one of the affected institutions.
Earlier this month, Adeyemo alleged that Governor Seyi Makinde had the capacity to facilitate the rescue of abducted victims but had not given him the support he needed. He also claimed that some politicians were benefiting from the country’s security challenges and vowed to reveal the identities of individuals he alleged were backing terrorist activities.
