‘He’s not a criminal’ — Yoruba farmers group stages protest to demand Igboho’s release

The Agbekoya Farmers Society, on Thursday, staged a protest in Ibadan, the Oyo capital, to demand the “unconditional” release of Sunday Adeyemo, a youth leader better known as Sunday Igboho.

Igboho, who is currently in custody at a facility in Cotonou, Benin Republic, had been charged with several offences including alleged arms smuggling.

The group, which staged a rally on Thursday, marched to the palace of Saliu Adetunji, the Oba of Ibadan.

In a statement issued after the protest and signed by Olatunji Bandele, the society’s national publicity secretary, the group said Igboho is just an activist and “not a criminal”.

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They also asked the federal government to curtail the activities of herdsmen “who carry AK-47″.

The group also demanded the establishment of a joint task force to tackle banditry in the south-west region.

“We ask for the establishment of a joint task force, comprising soldiers, policemen, state security service and self-determination groups like Agbekoya, OPC, hunters, vigilante to combat banditry, ritual killings and kidnapping in the south-west,” the statement reads.

The group also asked the government to work towards ““agricultural revolution and adequate protection of farmers on their farmland, repair and maintenance of federal and rural roads, among other things”.