Former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose has advised Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state and the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu against any plan to arrest Sunday Adeyemo, a Yoruba activist well known as Sunday Igboho.

Igboho had recently issued a seven-day ultimatum to herdsmen to leave Oyo state.

After the expiration of the ultimatum on Friday, January 22, 2021, Igboho and his supporters stormed the Fulani settlement in Igangan, an ancient town in Oke-Ogun region of the state to evict the Seriki Fulani and herdsmen accused of perpetrating crimes in the area.

Meanwhile, the IGP had reportedly ordered the arrest of Igboho following the eviction notice he issued to herdsmen.

Adamu was reported to have directed the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Ngozi Onadeko to arrest Igboho and transfer him Abuja.

Governor Makinde had also directed Onadeko to arrest “persons found guilty of stoking ethnic tension”.

However, Fayose in a series of tweets has warned against any attempt to arrest the activist, saying it could escalate tension in the South-West region.

Fayose wondered why there was any need to arrest Igboho when the Federal Government and Northern governors prefer to dialogue with Boko Haram insurgents and bandits in the North.

He said, “Any attempt to arrest anyone will cause further threat to the already fragile peace in the West and the country as a whole. Above all, any unchecked escalation may lead to a state of emergency.

“If FG and some governors could ‘dialogue’ with Boko Haram terrorists, Gov Makinde calling all stakeholders to a round-table discussion will not be a misplaced action”.

The former governor also advised Governor Makinde to use dialogue and persuasion rather than calling for the arrest of Igboho.

“Gov Seyi Makinde should rather use dialogue and persuasion instead of escalating tension in his own State by calling for the arrest of Sunday Adeyemo or anyone at this time,” Fayose said.

However, in a bid to restore peace in Oke-Ogun, the Oyo State Government, the IGP team and traditional rulers in the state are set to meet in Igangan, Ibarapa North Local Government Area on Sunday, January 24, 2021.