Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has dismissed reports of tension between the Iru Ekun Security Network and the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), insisting that there is no rivalry between the two and that the priority should remain the security and protection of Yorubaland. Igboho made the clarification during an engagement organised by Think Yoruba First (TYF), where he responded to questions on Iru Ekun, its security objectives and its relationship with other Yoruba security structures.
Asked directly whether Iru Ekun and the OPC were enemies, Igboho gave a firm response. “No, we are not enemies. We are one. All the noise they are making on the internet is irrelevant. We are one, there’s no bad blood between us,” he said. He stressed that discussions about supposed rivalry should not distract from the wider security concerns facing Yoruba communities, particularly banditry, kidnapping and other criminal activities threatening lives, livelihoods and the ability of residents to live and work safely.
Igboho said the focus should be on securing Yorubaland and protecting its communities rather than creating divisions among organisations concerned with security. He maintained that Iru Ekun should not be seen as a rival to the OPC or as an organisation established to compete with existing Yoruba security structures. The emphasis, according to him, should be on cooperation and collective efforts to confront security threats and protect the people.
He also stressed that Iru Ekun accommodates people from different religious backgrounds. The security initiative, he explained, is not restricted to Christians, Muslims or adherents of traditional religion, but is intended to serve Yoruba communities regardless of their faith. The emphasis is on the shared responsibility of protecting lives, communities, farms and livelihoods across Yorubaland.
The engagement further highlighted the need for cooperation among security groups and other stakeholders as communities continue to face threats from criminal elements. Igboho’s position was that differences between organisations should not become more important than the security of the people they seek to protect.
His clarification on the OPC was therefore direct: there is no fight between Iru Ekun and the organisation. “We are one,” he reiterated, rejecting what he described as irrelevant noise surrounding their relationship. The central message from the engagement was that the security of Yorubaland should remain the priority, with Iru Ekun and other security structures expected to contribute to the wider effort to protect Yoruba communities and confront the threats facing the region.