Yoruba Nation agitator Sunday Igboho has alleged that certain politicians are sponsoring criminal activities in the South-West and threatened to publicly identify those responsible if the situation persists.
Speaking on the recent abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State, Igboho claimed he knows the political figures backing the kidnappers and accused them of providing funds and weapons.
“If I am permitted to burst into the hideouts, they will flee. They are neither gnomes nor mannequins; they are humans, so that they could be dislodged.
“I know the politicians behind them, and if they do not stop perpetrating their evil acts, I will mention them all. I know them. The politicians behind them are the ones giving them ammunition and money.
“The same thing they did to Jonathan is what they are doing to Tinubu. They want to make the country ungovernable for him. They even have fake news propaganda to scare the masses and divert supporters away from the President. Suppose the recent abduction is not a game. In Oyo, they made away with children. I volunteered to go, but the state government said No.”
Igboho said he later learned that the abductors had reportedly threatened to harm the victims if he attempted to intervene.
“Later, they (Oyo government) informed me that the kidnappers said if I try to force myself to come rescue the children, they will kill them all. If they are serious about rescuing the victims, they should tell my boys and me to chase them out of the forests in our regions and see if those people will remain there even with their bombs and sophisticated weapons.
“After I arranged ‘Iru Ekun’ security network, the Federal Government permitted me, but the state government said no security must take a step behind them.”
The activist questioned why he had not been allowed to deploy his security outfit to confront criminal groups operating in forests across the South-West.
“Do we have to wait for him to flood the forests to rescue these children? I’m just concerned about these abductees; nobody can kidnap me, not even my family, because they are spread across Canada and Germany. Why should I fret?
“Despite how bad Buhari’s administration is, he completed his tenure. Why are they trying to stop a Yoruba man — Tinubu — from completing his?
“It was Tinubu who freed me when I was in exile. Why should I tackle him? And why are they trying to ruin his government?”
On May 15, 2026, gunmen abducted 46 pupils from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. The affected schools were Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Esiele; and L.A. Primary School.
The incident drew widespread outrage, particularly after a video showing the killing of one of the abducted teachers surfaced online. Following the development, Igboho renewed calls for approval to deploy the Iru Ekun Security Network as part of efforts to flush out criminal elements from forests in the South-West region.
