Yoruba Nation Agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho has cancelled the ‘Yoruba Nation’ rally in Lagos following the attack on his house where eight persons were killed.
This attack is coming hours to the planned rally in Lagos.
Pro-Yoruba Nation agitators including the umbrella body of Yoruba self-determination groups, Ilana Omo Oodua (IOO), Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self-Determination (NINAS), had planned to embark on a peaceful rally in Lagos.
Our correspondent had monitored the various virtual activities and live feed of the pro-Yoruba Nation agitators especially by Isokan Omo Odua and Koiki Media in the last few days building up to the rally boasting that ‘noting would change the date.’
According to Igboho’s Spokesperson, Olayomi Koiki, two persons were said to have been killed while cars and valuable items were destroyed during the attack on Igboho’s house in the early hours of Thursday.
The Nation reports Yoruba Nation rally had taken place in Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Ekiti and Oyo States. In some cases, police and ‘the weather’ forcefully dispersed the agitators.
In apprehension of what Saturday may bring, many public events, especially weddings billed for the day have been abruptly cancelled and postponed over fears of the rally turning violent, some residents told The Nation.
But Igboho has now said the mega rally planned for Saturday will no longer hold after the attack on his house, he told BBC Pidgin.
Igboho alleged that the attack was carried out by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian army.
It was observed that cars and walls of the house were riddled with bullets during the invasion.
He said, “I just heard plenty bullets in my compound and gunshot in front of my house. They were shouting Sunday Igboho come out, we are DSS, we are soldiers, come out!
“So I peeped through the window, and I saw them in DSS uniform, and soldiers, so I was surprised because I didn’t kill anyone nor fought with anybody, what I’m doing is to fight for my people.
“All the rally I’m doing is a peaceful rally, so I’m fighting for my family too because all the bandits killed my family, raped them, kidnapped them and take ransom from them.
“Government refused to do the right thing, that’s why I came out to support my family to fight for our rights. So I was surprised.
“Yes, I was in the house when they came. They killed about two guys. The shooting was too much. They destroyed all my properties, all my vehicles.”
Igboho, an Oyo indigene, has been in the news in recent times after he issued a one-week quit notice to Fulani herdsmen residing in Ibarapa area of Oyo State in January over the spate of kidnappings and killings attributed to herdsmen in the area.
‘Igboho is safe’
Igboho’s spokesman, Olayomi Koiki, said the Yoruba Nation Agitator was not arrested during the raid.
“He (Sunday Igboho) is currently safe,” the aide said.
He further said, “The situation now is very bad.
“Two Yoruba sons have been killed in the house of Chief Sunday Igboho. The two dead bodies have been taken away by the military. We do not know of the location where they were taken to”
Attack on Sunday Igboho’s house was a show of death and destruction – Gani Adams
The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams has stated that the attack on Sunday Igboho’s house was a show of death and destruction, warning that killing Igboho could lead to another bloodbath and war akin to the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East.
“The attack on Sunday Igboho’s house is most unfortunate. It is a reflection of the fact that our lives as Nigerians are of no value to the government. And the truth is that nobody is safe in this country.
“The recent attack was the second in six months. The first was in January when his Soka resident was razed by unknown arsonists. And up till date, nobody had been apprehended in respect of the ugly incident.
“Those agitating for Yoruba nation have been the targets of this administration and the two attempts at Igboho’s houses within six months cannot be said to be ordinary. They were ploys to cow him and frustrate him.
“We cannot continue to live in fear and trepidations. We cannot continue to live in perpetual crisis where our lives and properties are not secured.
“Igboho is being hunted because of his beliefs in the struggle for the liberation of Yoruba race and those behind these two attacks should be warned that any attack on Igboho is an attack on all of us that are in the struggle for the liberation of Yoruba race. It is sad that this government is intolerant of other people’s views.”
‘Petition for referendum underway’
The Nation gathered that a petition seeking for referendum is already in progress for Yorubas to sign.
The petition which is conducted by Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self-Determination outlined that it is aimed at “terminating the operation of the 1999 Constitution and begin activities leading to a Referendum to Restore Self-Governance to the ethnic Nationalities”
The petition reads: “Register to end 1999 constitution now – I, being at least 18 years old and an indigenous Nigerian from an Ethnic Nationality in the NINAS Alliance Territory (i.e Middle Belt, Yoruba and the Lower Niger (SE/SS) state that I am in full support of the (NINAS) Constitutional Force Majeure Proclamation of December 16, 2020 to terminate the operation of the 1999 Constitution and begin activities leading to a Referendum to Restore Self-Governance to the ethnic Nationalities.
“I want the Dissolution of the Unitary Nigeria of today. I fully support NINAS petitioning the United Nations Security Council and others to restore the self-determination of my ethnic nationality.” The Nation.