Rafiu Kolawole Abdulrasaq, a security expert and former PA (Security) to former Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, former, Chairman FIRMA Lagos and later SURE-P below President Goodluck Jonathan amongst others, speaks with
Gboyega Alaka on the ongoing war against Fulani herdsmen being championed through Sunday Adeyemo (AKA Sunday Igboho), the hazard of ethnic profiling, how he once orchestrated Igboho’s arrest lower back in 2010 and why he isn't in shape to carry the light for the Yoruba.
You have quite a reputation working with politicians, mainly in the region of protection. Tell us about it.
My call is Abdulrasaq Rafiu Kolawole aka OTO (for Authority). I attended St Paul’s Primary School and Archbishop Aggey Memorial Secondary School, both in Idi -Oro Mushin; I later attended Olabisi Onabanjo University. I additionally surpassed through Dubai Police College. I am a protection professional. I turned into former head of bodyguard to former Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola; former head of bodyguard to Governor Kayode Fayemi, former Chairman venture-force below former Governor Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State and former PA Security to former Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola. Before then, I changed into also as soon as chairman, FIRMA below former President Obasanjo, Chairman assignment-pressure on Sure-P below former President Goodluck Jonathan.
You seem to have a specific interest inside the ongoing Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho onslaught towards the rampaging killer Fulani herdsmen. Tell us approximately it
I am here today because of what is presently going on in Oyo State. This man referred to as Sunday Igboho as some distance as I am worried has been seeking to create tension – unluckily, many human beings do no longer recognize who he really is. Throughout the arena, Yoruba are regarded and appeared as sensible and accommodating humans and we might not and should now not allow someone to damage our call, photograph and integrity underneath the pretext of combating Fulani herdsmen – due to the fact the implication of what he's doing is such that the Yoruba human beings would no longer be able to take care of. Again, the whole international appears on the Yoruba as the livewire of Nigeria, so why should someone like Igboho be our representative or mouthpiece? Yoruba are not hooligans!
What precisely do know about Sunday Adeyemo aka Igboho?
Igboho is a man on the streets and able to all manners of atrocities. You can quote me on that. I am additionally at the streets. I have been at the streets on account that 1976. You can ask approximately me in Yaba. So we realize ourselves. There are some folks that would be concerned criminal activities in a community however might assisting humans; that help is to cowl up their tracks in order that human beings would no longer know who they sincerely are. Sometimes in 2010, particularly round December main to the first Iwude Day in Osun State, I individually, as Special Assistant on Security to former Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, orchestrated the arrest of Igboho once I got a dependable intelligence that he were prompted to get rid of a few outstanding politicians. I petitioned the IG of Police, Onovo and they referred the problem to Osogbo Command, while they got him arrested. Their plan became to put on fake uniform and devote the dastard act on the first Iwude Day of that 2010.
You had to go to Abuja?
Yes. My essential, Aregbesola objected to use of force or disagreement. He stated we ought to do everything legal to foil their plan. That changed into why I ran to the IG’s office in Abuja and wrote a petition, which I signed myself. The police said they would get him arrested. They definitely invited him however because of the humans that he became working for that I might not want to mention right here for obvious reasons, the case turned into buried. Besides, the ones human beings may additionally have repented but I cannot say the same of Igboho himself.
Are you saying Igboho was a political thug?
Yes, he turned into a political thug. He became being utilized by the PDP. I know due to the fact even I am a former member of the PDP. I become Chairman SURE-P below Obasanjo – it was called FERMA then and later chairman SURE-P Federal Task-Force under Jonathan. We recognize ourselves thoroughly and I can tell you that he has tentacles anywhere, inclusive of Lagos. I understand them and I understand their venture. So how can such someone be representing the Yoruba race? It is his likes that went to burnt TVC and other infrastructure throughout the EndSARS protests – most of these those who come from far flung locations and live inside the market. Why have to each person be residing in the market? Area boys wearing weapons! During Obasanjo’s time, the police and the military invaded the places and took all of them to Panti. I’m a Lagosian; you could by no means see any authentic-born Lagosian who could be so mad as to move and sit down-out at Lekki Toll plaza and engage in such vandalism.
These are weighty allegations, what if Igboho takes you to courtroom?
He dare not. I advised you I wrote a petition to the police and got him arrested. Why didn’t he take me to court then? Everything I say right here, I can substantiate but so as to be to the police or DSS, no longer to you people. Anything protection has to be covert. If everyone doubts me, allow the police investigate him from his youthful day. They ought to screen his name logs.
But this is the equal guy who stated he met Asiwaju in my opinion and that the man even gave him a present of N2million…
That’s a lie, don’t mind him. The truth is that Asiwaju is this type of accountable character and everybody desires to attach themselves to him.
How about the part Senator Babafemi Ojodu wrote approximately him?
Of that, I do not understand, because I changed into no longer present there. I will handiest say what I am certain of.
Well, you can have your reservations approximately him and indeed, he may also have his beyond, but by using taking on this cause in opposition to the killer Fulani herdsmen, human beings are starting to accept Igboho as preventing an awesome reason.
Are you pronouncing he is not doing the right issue?
He is not doing the proper factor. If absolutely he desires to assist his humans, what he ought to do is contact the security personnel, and tell them ‘such and such is occurring in my home town and I even have attempted my quality to remedy it with out a lot fulfillment; I have also long past to their Seriki and nothing wonderful is going on; I need you humans to step in. We are prepared to support you. We realize where those humans are….’ And then paintings in conjunction with the safety officers, so that some thing you do is prison. We don’t need Nigeria to grow to be another Palestine. In Palestine, there may be no law. If any person slaps me, I’d pass home and produce all my people to come and beat you up and all of your humans, inclusive of your mother. We don’t want Nigeria to degenerate into that sort of society.
What are the police there for? What are the DSS there for?
But humans have pop out to say that the police have now not done whatever after several reports and petitions about the evils being perpetrated through those humans, even siding with them in some instances.
That does now not justify some thing. Listen, in the Seventies, we had Babatunde Folounsho, the best armed robber of the 12 months; we had Oyenusi; we had Mighty Joe – all Yoruba.
Would that imply that all Yoruba are armed robbers? In Babangida’s time, there was Anini, Osunbo, Iyamu, the police inspector. They were the ones terrorising the complete of Benin and via extension, Nigeria.
Would that imply that all Benin human beings have been armed robbers? Go and test Google; you would see all the crimes being perpetrated and serial killers. The younger boy killing ladies in Ibadan; is he a Fulani guy? Why didn’t they cross and kill his whole own family? I am no longer saying all is nicely or that there's no hassle in our communities regarding these Fulani herdsmen; physically, I even have no longer seen or skilled any of their violence and as a Muslim, I don’t say what I don’t recognise, but the issue is if virtually this thing is taking place, you have got to analyze and fish out who and who're worried, no longer indict a whole ethnic group. What is presently unfolding can result in religious struggle or ethnic warfare. Already, some Muslims are seeing it as ‘They are killing Muslims.’ Even Yoruba Muslims. You can also have noticed that they're not talking. Because the Quran says you Muslims are all brothers. Allah says he has bind you with one rope; but if any individual of you is a criminal, you can pick out that crook and take away him from your network or do away with him, however in line with the regulation of the land. And you have to make certain of what you're doing; no longer guessing.
Fulani people were dwelling in our communities lengthy earlier than they even gave delivery to my own grandparents and we by no means had any trouble with them. The Hausa network is here in Mile 12; we don’t have any problem with them. Let all of us live in peace. Nigerians will go to America and be hoping to get an American passport in 5 years. Some even purpose at political appointments. But right here, you don’t want to look your fellow Nigerians. I lived in Dubai for four years; we know what a number of our Nigerian brothers did there, robbing banks, committing ATM fraud, killing; I joined the Dubai police briefly and investigated them for the Dubai police, however would that suggest that each one Nigerians are criminals?
You noticed what took place all through EndSARS protests, when some people killed policemen and roasted and ate them earlier than digicam.
Are the ones human beings? Those are ritualists; they handiest need blood; they're the likes going approximately with Igboho.
Some humans may also say that you have been paid to rundown Igboho, whom they understand as fighting a vital combat.
God will punish that individual that paid me. How can somebody pay me to rundown someone? I actually have my family and youngsters and I will die in the future. I am 57 years antique. Do I want my kids to develop up and face all these troubles, which they don’t recognize some thing about? All the human beings on the centre of this entire trouble recognize how to escape while the trouble subsequently erupts in our faces. You recognise, after you’re a criminal, you constantly recognize the paths via which to break out. Look, all this juju that they are flaunting is a bloody lie. When it is it slow to die, you'll simply die. All I am announcing is that if Igboho has any issue, he need to liaise with the police; now not make a PDP/APC politics out of it. Igboho honestly has every other project.
Are you saying this entire warfare is politically influenced?
Yes, but tactically. He is a PDP man, so he may be fighting for the PDP.
How approximately the allegation that the soldiers and the police are helping and abetting those crook herdsmen?
That’s what they had been saying but can you swear to it? There are so many cases that they’d say Fulani herdsmen but after investigating and arrests are made, you locate that the human beings at the back of them are not Fulani guys. The godogodo that has killed over a hundred policemen, is he a Fulani man? Is Evans a Fulani herdsman? Criminals now use Fulani herdsmen as cowl-up. So till we start doing proper investigation, we may be endangering our society.
The governors in whose domain names those violence are being perpetrated also are pronouncing they don’t manage the police…
That does not count. I’m no longer in price of safety in my instant community proper now however I nevertheless use my discretion to discharge certain things. The governors hold conferences with the safety agents almost every week; you may call them to reserve. Tell them such and such is going on; exchange intelligence gathered and thoughts on a way to combat the issues. Personally, from your protection vote, you could supply them money and I can tell you that they might do it the usage of their discretion. A governor may even write a petition as an everyday citizen intimating them on what is occurring and what you want them to do – now not conceal underneath the guise which you do now not manipulate the police. Ordinary individual that has cash controls the police, how tons greater a governor. But if there's no file and the police just come there, human beings can say they came there illegally. We aren't announcing we do no longer have a few awful people inside the police but is it each police this is terrible?
What recommendation do you have got for the Southwest governors; don’t forget about that Igboho also visited Ogun state, purportedly at the invitation of the governor?
No, the governor did not invite him. He stated it publicly that he did not invite him. That’s why I said everything is politics. It’s just like this EndSARS madness. When they started out their clamour, the government cooperated; the IG cooperated and stated there might be no greater SARS; but because they'd some other purpose, any other devilish time table, they refused to stop. I become ready to stand them, who will die will die however a few human beings said we ought to allow them to be. You noticed them burning everything. Is that how to right a wrong? Okay, they said some humans stole money and went to shop for homes in Dubai; can they cross and burn the houses in Dubai? Asiwaju that they are all targeting is a Lagosian, he has the proper to do business and very own residences. If you have cogent evidence in opposition to him, write a petition to the EFCC or go to the station and make a record. This is a man who has finished loads to increase Lagos. Ikosi typically is a neighborhood vicinity; but by using bringing TVC, a tv of such a massive wellknown to the community, he has extended its cost. So how can all of us decide to burn such an edifice on the pretext of anger? They went to the palace of the most paramount monarch in Lagos and vandalised and desecrated it. Only bastard could do this. Can we visit Ibadan or Edo or Owerri and wreck their monarch’s palace? This is all approximately hatred for one guy. You claim he isn't a Lagosian; a man born in Lagos state, who has spent properly over 50 years in Lagos State.
There also are allegations that ransoms to loose abducted human beings have been paid to the Seriki…
Can you swear to that? Have you investigated it? When you need to condemn anyone, you have to carry critical allegations in opposition to him. It’s much like what we’re announcing approximately Asiwaju. He’s no longer a Lagosian, he’s a thief… Meanwhile, 70 percent of those human beings accusing him are folks who got here from outside Lagos. His mother, Abibatu Mogaji, in no way said he become not her son, so what's the problem of folks who are investigating their dating? It’s a personal affair. Asiwaju isn't the only individual who has cash in Lagos. Koro has money, Atiku has cash, Dangote has cash; are you announcing we have to not have a rich man in Lagos State? I am an indigene of Epe. I am happy with what Asiwaju has accomplished for Lagos State.
Shall we then say that this interview is aimed toward dousing the ethnic tension being fanned by using Sunday Igboho and his boys?
Let me tell you, if we permit this Igboho issue to persist, come 2023, APC will no longer have get right of entry to to other states. Those who are hailing and joining him do not apprehend that this.
But Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, who's PDP, has condemned him or even referred to as for his arrest…
All this is charade. We who are versed in their ways know this trick.
Call it what you want, but a few folks that recognise Igboho’s historical past may additionally see this battle as a way of him legitimising and reintegrating himself into the best books of his humans.
That may be true however that best takes place when there may be a lack of wise people or when the right humans refuse to talk up. Any u . S . A . In which criminals turn out to be heroes will by no means have peace. Ask yourself, in which are they getting the guns from? Who is sponsoring them? Which work is Igboho doing? Mark my phrases, if he isn't always tamed, he'll get out of hand.
Finally, what's your function about Fulani herdsmen wearing weapons?
No, no, I cannot support that. We are in a modern day. Fulani should cross and purchase land, fence it and ranch their farm animals. That’s what they do anywhere – Dubai, America. Anybody whop wishes to buy may want to continually come there. That’s what we must be clamouring for. The present device is even dangerous; you notice cattle colliding with cars on the way and inflicting deaths. When they input a farm, they consume everything or ruin the entirety. Meanwhile the farmer has spent a lot of time, energy and cash at the farm.
No comments:
Post a Comment