As of the weekend, the six SouthWest state governors who engaged in a virtual, emergency meeting were reportedly yet to smooth the rough edges in filing a protest letter to the Presidency. Specifically, the governors are planning “to express their displeasure with the shock attack on the home of Sunday Igboho”.
The Ibadan, Oyo State, home of the Yoruba nation agitator, whose real name is Sunday Adeyemo, came under heavy attacks last Thursday as a combined team of soldiers and operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) came calling. Two occupants of the house were killed by the security agents, while the DSS in addition, claimed it recovered several illegal weapons. They also arrested 12 disciples of the Yoruba activist. But, a top source privy to the virtual meeting conducted by the six governors namely: Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Gboyega Oyetola (Osun), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) said the helmsmen were saddened by “federal government’s arbitrary action.”
“The governors are not happy that since there was no indication that Igboho posed an immediate danger, the Southwest governors ought to have been contacted first, looking at the fragile security situation in Yoruba land. “The governors noted that Igboh was only agitating against the spate of kidnappings for ransom and herders’ attacks on local farmers in South-West communities.
“They also reasoned that he (Igboho) drifted into secessionist agitations because he felt his cries were being ignored by the federal government,” the source, who craved anonymity, gave the insights. New National Star’s investigations also revealed that a topmost leader of the APC in the South-West, in concert with the governors had privately engaged Igboho in discussions on the need to tone down the aggressiveness with which he was planning for the July 3, 2021, Lagos Yoruba Nation’s rally, “before the FG’s shock attack.”
However, the pan-Yoruba sociopolitical organisation, Afenifere, is sorely displeased with both the attack on Igboho’s home and the police disruption of Saturday’s Lagos rally, which reportedly resulted in the death of a 14-year old girl, a hawker, at Ojota, Lagos. Afenifere particularly condemned the federal government for scuttling the Yoruba Nation rally, saying it was muzzling freedom of expression in the country. Reacting, Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Jare Ajayi, said; “Afenifere believes that in a democratic setting, the citizens have a right to protest and express their opinion peacefully as long as it is done within the law. “For that reason, what Ilana Omo Oodua and those who organised the rally in Lagos have done is still within the legal permit of the country.
“Just as our leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo said recently, we law abidingbiding organisation and we represent the citizens. “Since the government of Lagos State has given an order that such a rally be suspended, we feel that the rally should have been suspended but not because the government is right. “This is just to show that we are law-abiding. This present government, particularly at the federal level, is muzzling freedom of expression, freedom of association and trying to suppress any organisation, body or voice that it feels is against its policies.” The pan-Yoruba group said it was sure that if the Lagos rally was done in support of President Muhammadu Buhari, it was not likely to be stopped.
“In any case, the rally was not meant to be against this administration, it was planned to be an avenue to advocate or solicit for a Yoruba Nation. “Afenifere is federalist and we maintain that and we believe that people clamouring for secession have a right to clamour as long as it is done within the law and as long as they do not employ violence. We see no reason why the government should stop them. “All the government ought to have done is to watch them and ensure the rally is not hijacked,” the group demurred.
DSS Defends Self
But the DSS, however, expressed the opinion that its intention was misconstrued, noting that the raid on Igboho’s home was precipitated by security reports that he stockpiled arms with which to cause insurrection. In a statement by Dr. Peter Afunayan, its Public Relations Officer, the DSS said that when its men approached Igboho’s residence, the team came under heavy gun attacks from nine men suspected to be the activists’ guards. “Six of them were armed with AK47 guns and three others pump action rifles. “In the course of the exchange, two of Igboho’s armed men were gunned down while the rest were subdued and arrested.
by the assailants on his right hand sustained injury. He has however received medical attention and is very stable,” A fun an ya recalled. He added that afterwards, the team procedurally searched the house and subsequently recovered the following, among others: i. Seven (7) AK-47 assault rifles; ii. Three (3) Pump Action guns; iii. Thirty (30) fully charged AK-47 magazines; iv. Five Thousand (5,000) rounds of 7.62mm ammunition; v. Five (5) Cutlasses, One (1) Jack knife, One (1) Pen Knife vi. Two (2) Pistol holsters; vii. One (1) binoculars viii. A wallet containing Five (5) US Dollars in one (1) Dollar denomination; local and international driver’s licences in his name, ATM Cards, a German residence permit No. YO2N6K1NY bearing his name; ix. Two (2) whistles; x. Fifty (5) Cartridges; xi. Eighteen (18) Walkie-Talkies; xii. Three Voodoo charm jackets/ traditional body armour; xiii. Two (2) Laptops (One (1) Toshiba and One (1) Compaq); and xiv. His International Passport and those of many others (as displayed here). Further exploitation and forensic analysis are ongoing. “Aside from the items recovered from the building, about 13 suspects including 12 males and one female were arrested and brought to Abuja. “While one suspect is being profiled, the other 12 paraded here are: i. Abdulateef OFEYAGBE ii. Amoda BABATUNDE aka Lady K (female) iii. Tajudeen ERINOYEN iv. Diakola ADEMOLA v. Abideen SHITTU vi. Jamiu NOAH vii. Ayobami DONALD viii. Adelabe USMAN ix. Oluwafelumi KUNLE x. Raji KAZEEM xi. Taiwo OPEYEMI and xii. Bamidele SUNDAY,” the DSS image maker highlighted.
Igboho Reacts
Meanwhile, the man in the eye of the storm, Igboho, who had recently gone underground, gave his own account of the invasion of his Soka, Ibadan home by the security agents. He said he was at home during the attack but was saved by providence. According to him, the agents of the state shot at one of his associates, Adogan, 48 times before butchering him to death. In a statement by Olayomi Koiki, his media aide, Igboho said the DSS men, after failing to get at Adogan through gun attacks, “used mortar to kill the young man”. It read, “This is the face of a true warrior. His name is Adogan. He took 48 bullets to his body and was still standing like a fearless Ikoyi Eso. When shots failed the DSS, they had to slam a mortar on his head, butchering him to death.
“While DSS operatives were butchering Adogan, Majasola Igboho Oosa (May peace and blessings of Eedua always be with him) had made his exit to fight another day. “It was said that the DSS so brutally decapitated Adogan’s body that they were ashamed to leave his body behind. “They whisked his body away, but his blood trailed them from Chief Igboho’s living room to the DSS headquarters in Abuja. Trust me; we will take our revenge. RIP my good brother! No going back on the Yoruba nation. Lagos rally goes on, as planned, tomorrow. Ifa Dare,” Koiki narrated, on behalf of his principal. It was gathered that Adogan was killed alongside Igboho’s maternal uncle known as Alfa.
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