South-West leaders fault Oyo invasion

• Police parade 21 suspects
• Attack is an act of terrorism, says Oyo govt

More South-West leaders have disowned the Yoruba Nation agitators that forcefully invaded the Oyo State Secretariat on Saturday, as the Oyo State’s Police Command, yesterday, paraded no fewer than 21 of the suspects at its Headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan.

These individuals were nabbed for their involvement in the forceful invasion of the secretariat.

The state’s Commissioner of Police (CP), Adebola Hamzat, who confirmed the arrest of the 21 suspected agitators with a warning to other individuals with criminal intent to leave the state, described the gravity of the offence as a treasonable felony, which according to him, is a serious matter, adding that investigation is still ongoing.

Hamzat said there were no casualties during the exchange of gunfire with the agitators but one Amotekun officer sustained injuries.

Meanwhile, the Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) has urged the Federal Government to treat the suspects as coup plotters.

The YCE also condemned the act, describing it as unlawful, barbaric and nauseating.

In a statement signed by Secretary-General of YCE, Oladipo Oyewole, the elders said the act was unwarranted.

They, therefore, urged the government to deploy its apparatus to fish out parties involved in the dastardly act by all means and mete out judgment commensurate with the condemnable act.

In another reaction, the Maye Olubadan of Ibadanland, Akin Alabi, said he could neither judge the agitators nor appraise their actions but the truth is: “I don’t know them.”

Similarly, Yoruba Leaders of Thoughts (YLT) distanced itself and other credible leaders from the actions of the agitators, describing their intention as condemnable, barbaric and detestable.

Spokesman of the group, Bayo Aina, who spoke with The Guardian, said: “Yoruba has never been for the separation of Nigeria but its success. No components should hold the other to ransom.”

However, one of the suspects, Alabi Ogundeji, while interacting with the media during the parade, said he felt comfortable because he did what was lawful under Nigerian and international laws.

Another suspect, Ademola Adeniyi, said he also didn’t regret his actions.

He insisted that nothing is working in Nigeria and things are hard for everyone except those in government.

MEANWHILE, the Oyo State Government, yesterday, described Saturday’s invasion of the state’ssecretariat as an act of terrorism.

The state’s Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, who spoke with journalists in Ibadan, condemned the act, saying that there are better ways of agitation other than craving for bloodshed.