IN SHORT: Oyo state police spokesperson says a viral video claiming influential Yoruba activist Sunday Adeyemo asked Fulani herders to leave Igboho community is a "complete falsehood".
The Fulani are an ethnic group scattered across much of Africa. They are mainly concentrated in Nigeria, Mali, Guinea, Senegal and Niger.
Predominantly Muslim, they're historically associated with cattle herding and livestock rearing. But among them is a militia that has been blamed for several attacks on communities in Nigeria, including in the southwestern state of Oyo.
It is in this context that a viral video posted on Facebook claims that influential Yoruba activist Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, has issued eviction ultimatums to herders in the Igboho area of Oyo.
Adeyemo's voice carries weight as he has been leading the agitation for the creation of a Yoruba nation for several years and has a large following in western Nigeria, particularly in Oyo state.
He has also spoken out about the tensions in the state caused by the activities of Fulani herdsmen, and his supporters in Oyo see him as a defender of their rights. But following an ultimatum he issued in 2020, some in northern Nigeria have accused him of inciting ethnic violence and participating in the "unlawful eviction" of citizens.
The video caption in Yoruba reads: "O tun rugbo bọ o, Sunday Igboho tún ti pàṣẹ fáwọn Fulani láti kangara wọn kúrò nínú igbó ìjọba t'owa l'Oyo, ni ìjọba ba dalohun. DriveTv News Yoruba."
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This translates to: "Trouble is brewing, Sunday Igboho has commanded Fulani and their properties to leave government forest in Oyo, then the government responded."
The video shows a clip of Adeyemo speaking with no sound and, just below it, another clip advertising a herbal product. The voice of a Yoruba-speaking woman is heard saying that Adeyemo has asked the herders to leave the Igboho community.
The Yoruba language is spoken mainly in south-western Nigeria, including the state of Oyo.
The claim also appeared on Facebook here, here and here. (Note: See more instances listed at the end of this report.)
But did Adeyemo issue such a warning to the Fulani herdsmen in the state, which has the potential to inflame communal tensions in Nigeria? We checked.
Oyo state police says its 'complete falsehood'
A press statement by police spokesman Adewale Osifeso, reported by the media here and here, denied that Adeyemo had issued such an ultimatum.
The police said it was "specifically designed by agents of mischief to disrupt the relative peaceful ambience enjoyed in the State by inciting violence and civil disturbances".
The statement added: "No notice of eviction was pronounced by any individual or group on anyone at any period in time."
The clip of Adeyemo had no audio to prove he made the statement, and our search for video or credible media reports of his statement turned up no evidence.
The false claim also appeared here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
