YORUBA Nation agitators, yesterday, threatened to cause more havoc if security agents refuse to release their members who hoisted their flag at the Oyo State House of Assembly.
Recall that 21 suspected agitators and several weapons, berets, soldiers’ boots, caps, charms and other dangerous weapons were paraded by the state Police Command.
The agitators, through their Deputy Coordinator, Victor Adewale, in a statement, also threatened President Bola Tinubu and Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State to bear the brunts if they fail to release arrested agitators.
The statement claimed that the said Adewale is based in Sweden and serves as the European Coordinator of the Oodua Progressive Union, OPU.
It noted that he was installed Akingbayi Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland in 2020.
The statement reads: “If Seyi Makinde refuses to release our men that were arrested and makes them sleep in the cell, he has called for war and Bola Tinubu will be greatly affected. The way we will ravage, you won’t all understand.
“I’m directed to warn you for the last time. Governor Makinde must release our warriors he arrested at the secretariat in Ibadan. He must release them immediately, he should return them to the secretariat, let them be doing their own there and we should be doing ours.
“If he continues to hold them, wherever you are; you will be rooted out. Our proclamation letters are with them. Tinubu, Tunji Disu, Makinde and all Amotekun in Yoruba land and the police, you must release those guys immediately. War is coming and I want to implore Yoruba people to go out en masse to protest. However, whether you like it or not, we have an interim government now for Yoruba Nation.”
Police discover more hideouts, weapons in UCH premises
Meanwhile, the Oyo State Police Command, yesterday, said it discovered more exhibits hidden in an uncompleted building around the University College Hospital in Ibadan.
The arrest and discovery of some weapons, bulletproof jackets and army camouflage uniforms were contained in a viral video being circulated.
Vanguard gathered that some boys playing football saw about six men jumping over the fence of the teaching hospital and entering the uncompleted building.
The boys, who initially thought the hoodlums were robbers, quickly contacted the police.
From the video, the police team sent to the scene was bringing out the weapons and other items from the building when they saw one of the suspects running out through the other entrance to the building.
The police team then gave him a hot Chase and then succeeded in arresting two of them.
During the chase, gunshots were fired by both parties. The hoodlums exchanged gunshots with the police who later overpowered them.
While the gun duel lasted, residents within the UCH ran helter-skelter.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adewale Osifeso said he was busy.
As of the time of filing this report, a text message sent to him was yet to be acknowledged.
Man-O-War disowns suspect
Meanwhile, the Oyo State Commandant of Man ‘O’War, Alhaji Yekini Olanrewaju has distanced the command from one of the suspects, Muritala Abefe, who had the identity card of the paramilitary outfit.
Olanrewaju, in a statement, by the State Public Relations Officer, AC Adebiyi Ademiluyi confirmed that Muritala Abefe is a member of the Man ‘O’War Nigeria, Oyo State Command but was not sent on such a mission.
He said: “One Muritala Abefe, who is one of those captured in the videos in circulation and also paraded and on whom the identity card of Man ‘O War was found was one of our members but he acted on his own and never in his capacity as our member neither was his act an approved act by the Oyo State Command of Man ‘O War Nigeria.”
Ignore those agitating for Yoruba Nation —Ooni of Ife
Also condemning the invasion of the Oyo State government secretariat and House of Assembly, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, yesterday, urged Nigerians to ignore the Yoruba nation agitators, describing them as attention seekers.
He also insisted that the agitators do not represent the interest of the Yoruba race.
Speaking when he received in audience members of the Yoruba Council Worldwide, who paid him a courtesy visit in Lagos to inform him of the sixth annual Omoluwabi festival, the monarch commended the president of Yoruba Council Aare Oladotun Hassan for promoting Yoruba culture and extolling the good virtues Yoruba are known for.
The festival will be held on April 27- 28, 2024, in Ile Ife and the grand finale will be held in Lagos at LTV 8 Blue Roof on May 1, 2024.
Oba Ogunwusi said: “We should not give those people relevance, they are achieving their aims just to seek attention, we are having challenges here and there in the country, and this administration is trying her best.
“Under President Bola Tinubu, he is doing very well, he is doing exceptionally well, by trying to fix the economy, we should give him the benefit of the doubt and also to engage people, very important we should be engaging people to talk to others about success recorded by the government in power.
“For us, we will continue to uphold and support the government, to support the president to ensure everything he does is to our advantage not as a race, but to our advantage as a nation, irrespective of where you come from Yoruba land or anywhere.”
In his remarks, Mr Hassan said the essence is to rekindle the fast-dying Yoruba morals and values and as well as inculcate it into the youths.
Our members not nvolved in Oyo invasion —OPU
Meanwhile, a Yoruba diaspora organization, Oodua Progressives Union, OPU, yesterday, dissociated itself from Saturday’s invasion by some Yoruba Nation agitators in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The OPU, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Chief Victor Adewale, said that OPU is purely a Yoruba socio-cultural organization that is presently in 98 countries across the six continents of the world.
He said: “Since its inception in 2011, OPU has been at the vanguard of promoting the cultural identity of the Yoruba race in the diaspora.
“Our diaspora organization has been projecting the Yoruba positively to the world, using its strengths and global network to seek unity and progress of the Yoruba race in the diaspora.
“Our vision is to promote Yoruba culture, peace and unity among the Yoruba in the diaspora and in doing that, we stand for restructuring of Nigeria to federating units that are tied to regionalism.
“OPU has never called for self-determination. Our global convener, Iba Gani Adams’ vision and ideals are spelt; and it is about true federalism that is solely based on regionalism.
“We are not against the system and we have been fulfilling our dreams through many of our programmes, including the annual OPU World Congress, held annually across the southwest region in Nigeria. The last congress was held in Osogbo, where many people benefitted from the free health and humanitarian services of the organization.
“OPU is not against any group or organization’s ideology but we stand for restructuring that is based on regionalism.”
Adewale also faulted those linking him with the invasion.
He said: “An online platform mentioned my name as the deputy coordinator of the Yoruba Nation agitators and deputy interim president.
“There was a mix-up in the first two names of the man referred to as the coordinator and deputy president of the Yoruba nation group.
“I have been inundated with various phone calls from different quarters on the publication.
“My name is Chief Mobolaji Victor Adewale and the man’s sworn-in in a viral video last Saturday as interim leader of the Democratic Republic of Yoruba nation name is Mobolaji Olawale Akintola Omokore.
“I am not in any way related to the deputy coordinator and deputy president of the Dupe Onitiri-led Yoruba Nation agitators that hoisted their flags at the Oyo state House of Assembly.
“However, I need to clear my name and I have instructed my lawyers to write the publishers and seek proper retraction of the publication.
“All my life, I have lived in Sweden for the past 30 years and I have been doing my legitimate business as a transporter in Sweden. All my life, I have never joined any organization except the OPU and I have risen through the ranks to become the coordinator of Sweden, Europe and presently, I am the Publicity Secretary of the OPU.”
