Following the controversial quit notice issued to herdsmen in Oyo State by Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo better known as Sunday Igboho, Governor Seyi Makinde has said he would not allow anyone to foment crisis in the state under the pretense of ethnic interest.

On Friday, January 22, 2021, Adeyemo, who had earlier warned Fulani herdsmen to leave Oyo State was received by hundred of youths at Igangan in Ibarapa North Local Government Area of the state. 

While addressing the youths, Adeyemo vowed to chase Fulani herdsmen away from the town and entire Yorubaland, saying he won’t allow them to kill his people.

He said, “What is happening will not be limited to this place, we will drive out Fulani from entire Yorubaland. They want to be killing us. We will not accept this.”

He also said Seriki, the head of the Fulani in Oyo must leave the town because he has been identified as a security threat.

However, Governor Makinde in his reaction to the threat issued to the Fulani said his administration’s effort to address insecurity is against criminal elements, irrespective of their tribes, religions, or creed.

He said he would not allow anyone to threaten the peace of the state by acting unlawfully.

Makinde said this on Friday while receiving the new Commissioner of Police in the state, Mrs Ngozi Onadeko.

He said, “For people stoking ethnic tension, they are criminals and once you get them, they should be arrested and treated like common criminals.

“For this administration, the major pillar for us is security, because we know that all the good economic plans we have won’t be possible in an atmosphere of chaos and insecurity.

“So, when people say things that are neither lawful nor within the spirit of Nigeria’s Constitution, it is not acceptable here. And they cannot hide under the guise of protecting Yoruba’s interest to perpetuate chaos in the state.

“I am sure that since you came in, you must have heard about some things happening at Ibarapa axis of the state. I will still say it here that we are not after Hausa-Fulani. We are after criminals.

“We are after hoodlums and bandits irrespective of their tribe, religion, or creed. Those are the people we are after. If you look into the records, when we had the armed robbery incident at Okeho in Kajola Local Government Area of the state, some people were killed, some were arrested and we found out that they were from Ebira, from Kogi State. So, we want to go after the criminals — whether they are Yoruba, Hausa, Fulani or whoever they are.”

Makinde assured the people of the state that his administration would continue to synergise with all security agencies in the state to fight criminal elements.

He added that his government would continue to place a priority on the welfare of the officers and men of the Police Force in the state.