By Uzair Adam Imam
A brazen attempt to seize control of the Oyo House of Assembly by individuals suspected to be affiliated with the Yoruba Nation movement was thwarted by police forces yesterday.
At least 18 individuals were apprehended in connection with the incident, which unfolded just meters away from the Oyo State Government Secretariat.
Reports indicate that the perpetrators, masked and clad in Army camouflage, armed themselves with rifles and strategically positioned themselves within the Secretariat’s vicinity.
Some stationed themselves at the entrance of the Governor’s Office, while others were spotted near the state House of Assembly’s gate and the main entrance.
The sudden incursion sparked panic in the area, prompting security operatives to respond with tear gas and arrests.
The arrival of officers from the state Police Command and other anti-crime agencies, accompanied by sporadic gunshots, added to the chaos, forcing motorists to reroute and residents to seek safety.
Efforts by the Executive Assistant to the Governor on Security, CP Sunday Odukoya (retd), to defuse the situation proved futile as the masked individuals remained adamant about hoisting their flag within the Secretariat premises.
However, the arrival of soldiers from the 2 Division of the Nigerian Army shifted the dynamics, causing some of the agitators to flee.
The soldiers, described as stern-looking, reportedly pursued the remaining suspects.
Meanwhile, the state secretariat’s main entrance was sealed off, and businesses in surrounding areas quickly shuttered as a precautionary measure.
In a related development, a video surfaced featuring a woman identifying herself as Modupe Onitiri-Abiola, claiming to speak on behalf of the Yoruba Nation movement.
She declared the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Yoruba, asserting sovereignty and dissociating from Nigeria.
Notable Yoruba Nation proponents, including Professor Banji Akintoye and Sunday Adeyemo (Igboho), disowned the attack, denying any involvement and stating their commitment to peaceful advocacy.
Akintoye attributed the incident to individuals he deemed not to represent the authentic Yoruba Nation Movement.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adewale Osifeso, disclosed that 18 suspects were arrested in possession of an array of weapons and paraphernalia.
He condemned the incident as criminal and unpatriotic, pledging a thorough investigation and decisive action against those responsible.