‘Resist being used by politicians’ — Ooni warns Sunday Igboho

Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife, has asked Sunday Igboho, a youth leader, to resist being used by politicians.

The monarch gave the warning in a interview on Arise TV, on Wednesday.

Igboho has been in the news after he led some youths in Ibarapa local government area of the state to Salihu Abdukadir, Seriki Fulani, leader of the Fulani group, to register displeasure over the recent killings and abductions in the area.

Ogunwusi commended Igboho’s actions, saying he is “a mouthpiece for the downtrodden”.

He asked the youth leader to avoid the hijack of the movement by politicians, adding that Igboho should also desist from taking laws into his own hands.

“Let us be very objective. He (Igboho) is being a mouthpiece for the downtrodden. He came up and everybody is listening now but my advice to him as a traditional ruler is that he needs to be very careful so that the politicians won’t hijack the whole motive from him,” he said.

“He has done well and we have already praised him but he shouldn’t take laws into his hands. We have the governor there, he is the chief security officer of the state and Mr President has invited him (Makinde). Let the right people that are being authorised to do what is right do it.

“He (Igboho) has done well and the world has heard him but everything should be done in moderation.”

The monarch said youths should embrace law and order by allowing those in authority to handle security matters.

He said traditional rulers are also working with the government to end insecurity.

“We know that the bandits are everywhere. He shouldn’t take laws into his hands. We have laws in this country and we should follow it. Let the right people chosen do and follow what they are supposed to do,” he said.

“Traditional rulers have a role to play. We should be very neutral and so far so good, we have been trying to be neutral. Whatever this government is doing, we always stand up to try and see how to support them.

“It is not as if we will now go out to criticise them. We are not politicians, we are traditional rulers; we should be respected, we should be neutral and we should accommodate all and sundry.”

On Tuesday, Ogunwusi visited President Muhammadu Buhari over the rising tension in the south-west.