GOVERNMENTS and security agencies in the South-West states have beefed up security around government structures and institutions, with machinery put in place to forestall the breakdown of law and order by any group forcing an agenda on the states.
Also, security agencies have warned that they would curtail any form of insecurity, adding that anyone parading himself as a Yoruba Nation agitator should either toe the path of peace or have himself to be blamed.
The warning by the South-West governments and the police came on the heels of an attempt on Saturday by separatist Yoruba Nation agitators to take over the Oyo State Government Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.
According to reports, the agitators, donning army camouflage and armed with rifles, attempted to hoist their flag on the premises of the Oyo State House of Assembly.
The attempt was foiled by security agencies with 20 of the agitators arrested.
In May 2023, some Yoruba Nation agitators had also hijacked Radio Nigeria, Amuludun FM 99.1 airwaves in Ibadan for more than one hour before they were overpowered and arrested.
The promoters of the Yoruba Nation are canvassing the breakaway of the Yoruba people from Nigeria.
They argued that Yoruba people have not fared well in Nigeria, arguing that their welfare would be better guaranteed under a separate sovereign entity to be called he Yoruba Nation.
The agitation has, however, been resisted by the Federal Government, which in 2021 sent the Departmemt of State Services after the Yoruba Nation arrowhead, Sunday Adeyemo, alias Sunday Igboho.
Igboho fled Nigeria in 2021 following a midnight of his Ibadan home in July and was captured and detained in the Benin Republic while attempting to escape to Germany.
The Saturday invasion of the Oyo Government Secretariat sent panic to the residents and road users, especially around Customs, Ikolaba, Awolowo and many other areas within the Ibadan metropolis.
On Sunday, the governments of Osun, Ekiti and Ogun state hinted that they had put security measures in place to forestall a repeat of the Ibadan experience in their domains.
The Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, in a statement on Sunday, said he had directed reinforcement of security around government structures in the state to frustrate any plan to disrupt public peace by suspected Yoruba Nation activists.
Adeleke said he had directed his Special Adviser on Security Matters, Mr Samuel Ojo, “to ensure immediate mobilisation of joint security teams to secure the secretariat, the Government House and other strategic government buildings, including the headquarters of the Osun State Broadcasting Corporation.”
He called for a rededication to the ideals of a united Nigeria, with ongoing constitution amendments to ensure a truly federal system in Nigeria, as he urged agitators to join the crusade for the reform of the federal system to ensure adjustments that will give the states more autonomy and responsibilities.
A statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, said, “In line with the governor’s directive, security men and women were deployed to identified locations yesterday to ensure the Oyo State incident is not repeated in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.
“I associate with my brother, the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde. I urge the agitators to sheath their swords. We must continue to try to realise the Nigeria of our dreams. We must support President Bola Tinubu as he drives the federal reform efforts. We have a duty to stand by Mr President in the realisation of this difficult national assignment.”
Also, the spokesman for the Osun State, Yemisi Opalola, said that the command was prepared to stop any act of lawlessness in the state, no matter the status of the perpetrators.
She said, “We are aware of the incident and it sent a signal to us. We are prepared to ensure peace across Osun State. We urge people not to engage in any act of lawlessness as police will not tolerate that from anyone no matter the status.”
Also in Ekiti State, the government said it had put in place machinery that would ensure maintenance of law and order at all times.
The state Commissioner for Information, Taiwo Olatunbosun, said that the security apparatus in the state had also been well-equipped to curtail any form of insecurity, in addition to the fact that residents were not reckless.
The commissioner, who described the Saturday invasion by the Yoruba Nation agitators of Oyo State Government House as “recklessness and agitation taken too far by any individual, group or pressure group,” said, “In Ekiti, we are not worried. Ekiti is safe and secure, we are peace-loving people and our people are not reckless.
“We are under a federating unit and we have every democratic structure in place to manage the affairs. I know that our people in Ekiti will not engage in such recklessness by any pressure group or individual. Our government has done everything to ensure that we maintain law and order here.
“Every security apparatus is well-equipped to curtail any form of insecurity here. We are okay, we are educated, we are civilised and people are respected within the provision of the constitution of Nigeria to express their opinion without any form of violation or crisis.”
Olatunbosun advised Ekiti residents to go about their duties without any fear, saying, “Our people should feel free and go about their businesses without any fear at all.”
Also speaking, the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Mr Adeniran Akinwale, said there was no need for anybody in the state to entertain any fear over what happened in Oyo State.
Akinwale said, “We (police) are fully on the ground. There is no cause for alarm. No need for people to panic, we are monitoring situations and by the special grace of God, there won’t be any problem.”
Similarly, the Special Adviser to the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, on Security, AIG Olusola Subair (retd.), said that Ogun State had activated security measures to prevent a repeat of the Oyo experience.
“Their (the security agencies) intelligence gathering mechanism has been activated and there is a manhunt for everyone known to be associated with this group or those that are on the run after their failed attempt at Agodi in Ibadan.
“Our security agencies have been put on alert to forestall such in Ogun State.”
Also, the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, warned that the command would not fold its arms and allow any misguided individual or miscreants to obstruct the reign of peace and orderliness in the country.
“They had better change their ways and never try to engage force for force with the police and other security agencies, because such action would be regretted.
“The state police command is on the ground; we are monitoring them and all the DPOs have been briefed to ensure that there is no breakdown of law and order anywhere across the state.”
In the same vein, the spokesman for the Ondo State Police Command, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, told The PUNCH: “We have never relaxed on duty. We are always ready to provide adequate security in the state. Nothing of such can happen in Ondo State.”
Similarly, the Commander of the State Security Network Agency, also known as Amotekun, Adetunji Adeleye, said the corps had deployed its men in the areas where government assets are located.
He said, “Immediately we heard of the incident in Oyo State, we quickly deployed our men to where we have critical government assets across the state.
“Such can’t happen here, we are always ready. We will always protect the lives and property of the people of this state.”
Afenifere condemns invasion
Meanwhile, the pan-Yoruba sociopolitical organisation, Afenifere, has condemned the invasion of the Oyo State House of Assembly in Ibadan.
Also, the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes, on Sunday, condemned the invasion of the Secretariat, warning that Ibadan would not condone such insult again.
Afenifere, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, described the invasion as “an ill-conceived plan executed not in the interest of the Yoruba people.”
He noted that “Yoruba is an important component of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as is well known and there cannot be a sovereign republic within an extant sovereign republic.
“At the moment, Yoruba are indigenous in Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo states and parts of Kwara, Kogi, Delta, and Edo states of Nigeria, just as they are found in some other parts of the world.”
Ajayi agreed that there were a lot of dysfunctionalities in the Nigerian system, stressing that it was a cumulative thing inherited from previous administrations.
“But solutions to the shortcomings do not lie in violent divisions. Rather, what we should strive for is how the perceived wrongs in the country can be righted. Afenifere is of the strong view that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has taken steps to rejig Nigeria in a manner that would make the country become one that every citizen would be proud of soonest. Restructuring the country is a sure way of accelerating this. This is why we are relentless in our agitation for restructuring!”
Afenife said the action of the Yoruba Nation agitators was not consistent with the conduct of the Yoruba people in general.
“How can a person or group of persons think that invading a state House of Assembly is tantamount to the creation of a Federal Republic? Genuine Yoruba normally think things through before they take actions, especially fundamental actions such as forming or declaring a nation.
“Yorubas don’t act that way. Rather, they apply wisdom and intellectualism in major steps they want to take. They apply tact. They demonstrate finesse and shun violence as much as possible. Examples of this attitude abound – going by their reactions to some major issues that occurred in the country in recent times.”
Afenifere, therefore, called for an investigation into the incident, to ensure that the perpetrators and real motive of the act were unravelled.
The CCII President-General, Niyi Ajewole, also called for a thorough investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding Saturday’s incident.
He warned the agitators to steer clear of Ibadan and the entire Oyo State, saying the people of Ibadan would not condone such invasion and insult again.
Ajewole said, “The CCII, on behalf of Ibadan Obas, Mogajis, Baales, elders, leadership of various market councils, Babalojas, Iyalojas, community development associations and the entire Ibadan indigenes, condemn attack on the state Governor’s Office and the state House of Assembly by the suspected Yoruba nation agitators.
“Whoever is involved in the act, directly or indirectly, should be fished out and brought to book. We hereby condemn this heinous assault in its entirety, with a strong warning that all these agitators should stay away from Ibadanland and the state, as anyone found with any forms of illegal assembly or hoisting of any flag, use of agitators caps, berets, vests and stickers will be considered as the enemy of Ibadanland, and the state will deal with such person or people according to the tradition and law.
“CCII and, indeed, the entire sons and daughters of Ibadan received with terrible shock, embarrassment and consternation, the audacious invasion of the state Government Seat of Power, the Secretariat, Ibadan. Of great and particular concern was the invasion of Ibadan, which has been enviably enjoying the peace that the indigenes and residents generally are happy about.
“It was said that the invaders attempted to take over the Governor’s Office and the House of Assembly, the two vital organs of government and instruments of governance.
“It was a deliberate and daring attempt, targeted at seizing power. An attack of preponderance qualified to be described as localised mutiny, perhaps aimed to be expanded to the other parts of the country. It is not even out of place to suspect that the hoodlums wanted to deliver a diabolical message of taking over Ibadan to be held hostage, or captured and kept in captivity.”
He lamented the inhabitants were restless, putting calls across to one another to ensure each other’s safety while economic and other activities were disrupted during the invasion.
The CCII President-General, who described them as disgruntled elements, wondered why they wanted to turn Ibadan, hitherto known as a peaceful city, into a theatre of war.
“One wondered whether we were in war, one wondered why these disgruntled elements wanted to turn Ibadan into a theatre of war. We even wondered whether the tumultuous banditry being perpetrated in certain parts of the country was to be extended to Ibadan city. What an unprovoked and appalling insult.
“How can that be possible in a manner that caught the people unawares? Was Ibadan part of their sinister motives? Was the apprehension persisted, and reprieve started to prevail when it was gathered that personnel of various security agencies had moved in to take control? We thank God that the aim of the urchins failed,” he said.
Ajewole, therefore, commended the efforts of Governor Seyi Makinde and all the stakeholders, especially the security operatives for their prompt response to bring the situation under control.
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