Ayo Adebanjo, leader of Yoruba social and economic pressure group Afenifere, has warned that President Muhammadu Buhari has declared war on Yoruba people with the recent arrest of Sunday ‘Igboho’ Adeyemo.

Mr Adeyemo was arrested in Benin Republic on Monday night, his associates said in a statement, a few days after the Buhari regime declared him wanted. His home was raided in Ibadan earlier this month by operatives of the State Security Service, who confirmed killing two people and making several arrests. Mr Igboho’s allies said seven people were killed during the raid and the SSS evacuated all bodies.

Mr Adebanjo in a telephone interview with Peoples Gazette on Tuesday afternoon said Mr Adeyemo should not be allowed to suffer alone for fighting for the liberation of the Yoruba. 

“Yoruba worldwide should take to the streets to make sure that Sunday Igboho is not brought back to Nigeria and if they bring him back the Yoruba should ensure that he is not badly tortured or worse,” Mr Adebanjo said. “They have declared war on our people.”

The Afenifere leader said Yoruba youth should rise up and demand a restructuring of the country, first with the adoption of an equitable Constitution that will be written by all constituents that make up the country.

“Freedom is never given, it is always won,” Mr Adebanjo said. “People are too afraid of this regime and we have said it over and over that they should be bold to confront them and take back their country.” 

“They are ruling us with a Constitution that we did not make. It is a military Constitution and they have been rejecting all efforts to adopt a new Constitution, including the 2014 national conference,” he said. 

Mr Adeyemo’s arrest came three weeks after the regime abducted Igbo separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu in Kenya and forcibly removed him to Nigeria. Mr Kanu was travelling with his British passport when the attack occurred, and the UK government has said efforts were underway to extract explanation from Nigerian authorities.

Buhari has said he would always respect the rights of Nigerians, but warned that separatist pushes are often violent with insurrection undertone that his government will not allow to fester.