Following the invasion of the Oyo State secretariat by suspected Yoruba nation agitators on Saturday, one of the agitators, Ismaila Malomo, has named one Modupe Abiola Onitiri as one of their sponsors. Premium Times reports.
The suspected agitators had on Saturday invaded the Oyo State secretariat dressed in military camouflage and attempted to take over the State House of Assembly.
Mr Malomo disclosed this speaking with journalists on Monday while being paraded alongside 20 others by the Oyo State Police Command at its Eleyele Headquarters in Ibadan.
He stated that he volunteered to drive the agitators down to the secretariat in Ibadan from Idi-Iroko in Ogun State.
The suspect also revealed that other sponsors of the group reside in diaspora and that they have been meeting with them virtually.
“I drove the bus; it’s my bus. I received a message from my friend here that one of our sponsors, named Modupe Abiola Onitiri, gave us an order to go and take over Oyo State government Secretariat and wait there till she comes around and pronounces the Republic Nation of Oodua.
“We have several people as our sponsors, but they’re in the diaspora. The ones that I can recollect for now are Modupe Abiola Onitiri, one Micky, and there are some others too.
“We do have virtual meetings frequently with these people, and at the last meeting, they told us that they’ve secured sovereignty from the United Nations and they’ve sent letters to all the concerned bodies that very soon they will come to Ibadan to formally declare the Yoruba Nation. That’s why I followed them down here, I’m so sorry for my actions,” he said.
Another suspected agitator, Alabi Ogundeji, a teacher at the Federal Government College, Oyo, stated that their leaders had taken the necessary steps before they invaded the secretariat, adding that their intent was not to kill or injure anyone but to declare a Yoruba Nation, which according to him, is their right.
Mr Ogundeji also described their action as legal.
“Our leaders have taken all the steps they ought to have taken on this issue. They’ve embarked on a referendum. They’ve issued almost 500 petitions; it was signed and served to all the Yoruba speaking states – Osun, Oyo, Ondo, Lagos, Ekiti, Kogi and Kwara states.
“All these states were served with official letters and we have our own copies too. So, our action at the Oyo State government secretariat is legal. We were only there to express happiness and joy over the proclamation of Yoruba Nation; we were not there to kill anybody.”
The duo were paraded alongside Adeyemo Joseph Oluwaseun, aged 29; Adeyemo Peter, aged 75; Amos Oluwatuyi Ogundeji, 45; Ayanwale Rofiayat (female), aged 25; Olaleye Mathew, 54; Fatoki Anthony, 34; Muritala Abere, 40; Adepoju Ismaila,45; Fatunmbi Wasiu, aged 30; Isaac Friday, 27; Ayanwale Saburi, 28; Elegbede Adebola, 27; Adedamola Deniyi, 29; Ojo Olufemi, 52; Ajani Ezekiel, aged 42; Adejumo Lateef, 60; Ayoola David, 40; Adesokan Hammed, 38; and Salawudeen Wahab, aged 56.
Parading the suspects, the state Police Commissioner, Adebola Hamzat, described the action of the suspects as criminal and unpatriotic.
“On Saturday at about 0855hrs, information was received that some men dressed in military-like camouflage, armed with pump action semi-automatic rifles, riding on motorcycles, were sighted moving into the main city from Olomi axis of Ibadan. At about 0915hrs, the hoodlums, later known as Yoruba nation agitation group were trailed to the state secretariat, spreading from the flyover to within the premises of the Governor’s Office, and hoisted their flag at the House of Assembly, proclaiming the creation of a democratic republic of the Yoruba.
“While declaring this act as criminal, unpatriotic and a clear case of treasonable felony and terrorism to be meted with adequate sanctions through purposeful prosecutions, the Command re-assures the good people of Oyo State that it remains solidly unwavering in the protection of lives and property as constitutionally required by the laws of the land.
“As a parent, I enjoin other parents, guardians and leaders in every sphere of political, religious and socio-economic influence to prevail on their children, ward, protégés and followers against being used by unpatriotic individuals to promote anarchy in the state and by extension, the nation,” Mr Hamzat said.
He revealed that as a result of the incident, the security architecture of the command had been reviewed to enable it tackle the present-day realities.
