Igboho launches Iru Ekun security network in Ibadan with 20,000 volunteers
- Sunday Igboho launched the Iru Ekun Security Network at Mapo Hall, Ibadan, on Sunday.
- His media office said about 20,000 volunteers joined the outfit in Oyo State.
- Igboho also urged Nigerians to back President Tinubu's re-election and vote APC.
Yoruba nation activist Sunday Adeyemo, widely known as Sunday Igboho, on Sunday inaugurated a community security outfit called Iru Ekun at Mapo Hall in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
According to a statement from his media office, no fewer than 20,000 volunteers signed up for the network in the state. The outfit, the statement said, was set up to improve safety in Yorubaland and in parts of Kwara and Niger states.
The launch in Ibadan follows similar inaugurations in Osun, Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun and Ondo states, the statement added, saying traditional rulers and community leaders across Yorubaland were involved in the effort.
Igboho's office said the network has worked alongside the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies to fight kidnapping, killings and other crimes, especially in the South-West.
Addressing the volunteers, Igboho said the turnout showed that Oyo residents want to take part in protecting their communities, regardless of tribe, religion or political party. "The impressive development represents a milestone," he was quoted as saying.
Abuja trip and a political call
Igboho also spoke about a trip to Abuja, saying he was invited the night before and travelled to discuss how the network's duties could be strengthened. He linked the visit to his work with the Olubadan of Ibadanland, and said Iru Ekun was the idea of South-West traditional rulers.
He thanked God for protection from bandits and thanked traditional rulers across the country, asking that they be granted long life.
He also praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for creating what he called a platform for Iru Ekun members to meet. "We are also paying homage to the person, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who provided this platform," he said.
Igboho told the volunteers not to be discouraged by people who look down on them, saying such people would soon seek positions. He then urged Nigerians, including Iru Ekun members, to support Tinubu's re-election and vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the coming presidential election.
What happens next
The reports did not say whether the police, the DSS or state authorities have formally endorsed the Oyo wing of the outfit, or how its volunteers will be screened and supervised. How the network works with police and other agencies in the state will matter for residents who want safer roads and communities.
