Proof of my innocence, Sariki Fulani denies Yoruba’s accusation of link with kidnappers

*Some Oyo indigenes speak

*Northern elders’ reactions

By KEMI KASUMU

“No one is guilty until proven guilty with evidence. We have posted video of the security agencies that went to the Bush to fight these kidnappers in their hideouts. They were categorical that those people are multiethnic and some may not even be from Nigeria. Five of them were arrested with firearms and they are Fulanis and Yorubas,” the source posted.

The Sarkin Fulani of Oyo State, Alhaji Salihu Abdulkadir, on Monday, denied negotiating ransoms with kidnappers at Igangan community in Ibarapa North Local Government Area of the state.

He was reacting to media reports which quoted community leaders of accusing him of being complicit in the negotiations of ransoms for abductions done by herdsmen in the community.

The community leaders had made the accusations on Sunday when a delegation of the state government visited the town on a peace mission.

Youths of the community, believed to be acting on threat of a return for war by Sunday Igboho, had last Friday razed Abdulkadir’s house, alleging that the Fulani community was involved in kidnappings and killings of the people of the area.

Speaking to a journalist, Abdulkadir challenged those making the allegations to prove that he was complicit.

“I never collected anything from kidnappers or their victims, it is a mere allegation.

“Let them present their evidence. They had been saying this before, and I have responded to their baseless claims on several radio programmes.

“Let them provide the evidence to the police and let police (take action) if it is true.

“I have been aiding the security agencies in tackling kidnapping in the area.

“We have the police who have arrested many kidnappers in that region with our aid.”

The Sarkin also stated that Yoruba boys, working for a popular thug, were among some kidnappers arrested in the community.

“The kidnappers arrested were both Fulani and Yoruba. Among them were Taye and Kehinde, and they are the boys of a popular political thug. Their record is with the police,” he said.

The Sarkin Fulani also denied having armed guards.

He said neither was Sunday Adeyemi, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, shot at his (Abdulkadir’s) residence.

“Let them produce the evidence as well.

“If I have guards who bear arms, the police are in the best position to say this.

“15 policemen that were deployed to my house after the quit notice. If I have guards, they (guards) would have resisted the youth that attacked us.

“We don’t bear any arms, we are law-abiding citizens.

“Let them provide the evidence of their allegation.

“I am ready to face them at the police headquarters or at the court of law,” he stated

A source in Ibadan, had told The on Tuesday that it was important Yoruba agitators fight crimes and not tribe.

He said, “This Sariki they are talking about I know him very well and I am very close to one of his children. They say he has many cars and houses? Okay, let them prove it because a man that is a successful cow owner and breeder for many years cannot be asked where he gets his money. Sunday Igboho, who is accusemubg him and his tribesmen should tell us where he got his wealth from, with which he amassed all those wealths he has including over 27 luxury cars,” he said.

The source continued, “I only want to caution our fellow Yoruba people against the way they pursue tribe crisis because, when you start it, you don’t know where and when it leads. You couldn’t have sold your land to Hausa-Fulani or Igbo, who can never allow you to by a piece of land in his South East region talk less of you building house on it and you now turn around to use one flimsy excuse or mischievous allegation to drive them away so you can take back the property they built on the land you already sold to them.

“I made a post in social media a year ago warning my Yoruba people, particularly in Oyo State, against situation where they watch their children going into ‘Oraisa’ looking ‘Baba There Baba Ke’ for cheap and non-lasting money, whereas those they regard as non-indigenes have been busy training their own children in schools and their children and themselves are now successful people. I warned that they would regret it. Are they not regretting it now?

“The children you didn’t train yesterday are the thugs and ones hiding under protecting Yoruba interests to cause serious problem for the country especially in Yoruba Land. That is why I don’t support them over Oduduwa Republic. Now the Hausa-Fulani, who settled down on your land you sold to them and who trained their children, are doing well and you are calling them kidnappers, whereas you know those who kidnap in your bushes are the same Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists ravaging the world and West Africa.

“We need to be careful by refraining from starting a war we cannot finish. If you say the North is problem if Yoruba race, you need to prove it. For instance, how many Northerners are complaining about National Identity Card registration difficulty? It won’t happen there because their own people won’t make their civil rights difficult for them to access. But look at us in Yoruba Land, we are the ones crying of NIN officials charging us N5,000 or N10,000 or N15,000 to get registered. How did it get to that? Are hose officials in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo Northerners? No. The are our own tribe’s men and women. The ritual killings and murders by cultism, armed robbery, thugs recorded in Yoruba Land are more than in any other tribe in Nigeria. Because we know the perpetrators are our own children, we and our media people keep quiet. But when we now see opportunity to link a kidnap with Fulani, we and our media are always the first to scream to the top sky. God hates this,” he said and warned.

In a separate submission, another source also from Ibadan posted:

“Devoid of emotional tantrums and blackmail. You have provided evidence for your suspicion of the Seriki. And you have been careful not to make Seriki equal to all Fulanis. These are the kind of open minds that credible arbiters should have.

“No one is guilty until proven guilty with evidence. We have posted video of the security agencies that went to the Bush to fight these kidnappers in their hideouts. They were categorical that those people are multiethnic and some may not even be from Nigeria. Five of them were arrested with firearms and they are Fulanis and Yorubas.

“That’s the only concrete evidence of people caught pants down in action. We don’t need to profile Fulanis as criminals but we need to fight the criminals irrespective of their crime.”

More Yoruba sources also spoke to The DEFENDER among who said “There can be reason to criminalise the Fulani people because these people we grew up to meet in harmony with our parents.

A civil engineer (name withheld) said, “Our mother’s would weave hair for their women and we offered them special stream water for drinking and they offered us fresh cow milk. What happened is that, cows know their routes but, because of FADAMA, our people have now occupied those in the name of farming and cows are natural beings that will always lead themselves to what they see as their place. It takes only sincere minds to see the reality,” he said.

What Northern elders said

Some Northern elders, on Saturday 23 January 2021, had condemned in strong terms the burning of the home, livestock, and cars of the Sarkin Fulani of Oyo State, Alhaji Saliu Abdulkadir, by some youths in allegedly instigated by an ethnic bigot, Sunday Adeyemo otherwise known as Sunday Igboho.

While describing the action of the youths as provocative and senseless, the elders charged both the state government and security agencies to ensure that perpetrators of the heinous act were arrested and prosecuted.

The elders, who operate under the Coalition of Northern Elders for Peace and Development (CNEPD), said the need for all those responsible for the arson to be brought to deserved justice had become urgent, to serve as deterrence against future occurrences.

The coalition, which made its position known in a statement by its National Coordinator, Engr. Zana Goni, cautioned youths across the country against engaging in acts of violence.

Specifically, the coalition noted that at all times, legal and constitutional bodies such as the judiciary and police should be allowed to settle grievances of whatever nature, rather than resorting to self-help, which they frowned at.

This was as the elders reminded Nigerians that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) guaranteed every citizen the right life and conduct legitimate business in any part of the country.

While suing to peaceful co-existence, national cohesion, religious and ethnic tolerance, the elders called on authorities to always rise to the occasion, whenever issues that threatened national security and stability reared their heads.

In the same token, the elders have enjoined Northern youths to remain calm and law-abiding, saying reprisals will only exacerbate the situation.

“We condemn in totally the senseless, provocative and disturbing act of arson targeted at the home of the Sarkin Fulani of Oyo State, Alh. Saliu Abdulkadir, by youths suspected to be Yoruba.

“As elders, we are alarmed that the home of the Sarkin, his livestock, and 11 cars would be burnt in that manner at a time the country needs urgent healing and reconciliation.

“We maintain that violence remains inimical to the progress of any society and her people, as it retards socio-economic development on all fronts”, the elders said in the statement.

They tasked security operatives to go after perpetrators of the wicked act, even as they insisted that security around the Hausa/Fulani community in the state must be heightened, to avoid further needless attacks.

They have, however, identified some persons suspected to have masterminded the violent attacks, urging the police to track and arrest them immediately.

“We charge the police and other law enforcement operatives to ensure adequate security protection for the Hausa/Fulani community in the state, who may be prone to further attacks.

“Particularly, we call for the immediate arrest of one Chief Sunday Adeyemo Igboho and all the perpetrators of this evil act and bring them before the law.

“Furthermore, we wish to make a passionate appeal to all the Fulani and Hausa youths in the north to once again disappoint these enemies of national unity by remaining peaceful and wait for the government to act in a manner that will bring justice to those affected”, the statement said.

Meanwhile, the elders have alleged that the act was “fueled, and sponsored by an online news medium own by a failed presidential candidate from the South East in the 2019 general election”.

They accused the unnamed politician of “doing everything possible to undermine national unity and security”, saying “and we must resist them and all their supporters”.

“We also call on Nigerians to ignore media propaganda by this medium, which is aimed at causing disunity among Nigerians.

“Finally, we call on the Oyo State government activate measures to compensate all those affected by this mindless act, to assuage their pain”, the elders said.