Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, has reacted to the attack on the residence of Yoruba rights activist, Sunday Adeyemo popularly known as Sunday Igboho.
Acting Leader of the group, Chief Ayo Adebanjo in a statement signed on Thursday by the National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi said the attack was a “sad reminder of what Nigerians went through under the inglorious regime of late General Sani Abacha.”
The group said further that, “the attack is a sad indicator that we are fast returning to the era of late Sani Abacha when anyone who expressed opinions contrary to government’s position would be fatally attacked.”
According to Afenifere, the manner of the attack indicated culpability on the part of those in authority.
“We are forced into this deduction for a number of reasons. Firstly, eyewitness accounts indicated that the vehicles and uniforms of the attackers were that of the security agencies.
“Secondly, the failure of security agencies to confront the attackers further implicated the government. It was reported that the attack lasted for more than three hours. Igboho’s residence is in a highly-populated area within minutes’ reach to surrounding police stations. That no rescue team came from any of the police units including the DSS office in Ibadan for the several hours that the attack lasted makes it difficult not to believe that the government is complicit in the attack,” the statement read in part.
Afenifere made reference to how voices that were opposed to the dictatorial tendencies of the Abacha regime were suppressed.
“We recalled how patriots like General Alani Akinrinade, Pa Abraham Adesanya, Pa Alfred Rewane etc were attacked resulting in the untimely and gruesome murder of Pa Rewane.”
The pan-Yoruba organization said it is forced to make this deduction because Sunday Igboho is known to be at the forefront of agitations to have the Yoruba nation.
