Gbenro Adesina
Less than 48 hours after the Nigerian Government arrested Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), who is agitating for Biafran Nation, the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), has revealed why it collaborated with men of the Nigerian Army to attack the house of Sunday Adeyemo, popularly called Sunday Igboho, alleging that the Yoruba Nation agitator of stockpiling arms.
It will be recalled that the All Progressive Congress (APC) government led by President Muhammadu Buhari has been hitching to arrest the activist since he started campaigning and mobilising for the creation of Yoruba Nation.
Igboho’s cup was full when he led a team of Yoruba warriors to flush out some Fulani ethnic group from Igangan on the ground that the group is perpetuating crime in the area.
The Fulani people are accused of various nefarious activities including rapping, destroying farms, kidnapping for ransom, attacking and terrorising members of their host community.
Indigenes of the South believe that the Fulani people are getting away with their crimes because President Buhari is a Fulani man, whose body language supports their activities.
Speaking on the attack on Sunday Igboho’s residence, DSS Public Relations Officer, Dr. Peter Afunanya affirmed that the activist has been declared wanted, urging him to turn himself in to the security agencies for prosecution.
Speaking with newsmen in Abuja, Afunanya said that a joint team of security operatives raided Igboho’s residence around 1.34am on Thursday July 1, 2021, following intelligence reports he was stockpiling arms.
The spokesperson for the nation’s secret police claimed that when the security operatives approached the house, they came under heavy gunfire by nine of Igboho’s men adding that six of Igboho’s men were armed with AK-47s while the remaining three were armed with pump action rifles.
He said that two of Igboho’s men were killed while an operative sustained injuries during the operation.
According to him, though, Igboho escaped arrest during the operation, various weapons, cash and charms were recovered in the raid, adding that13 suspects were arrested in and brought to Abuja.
The statement from DSS reads: “In the early hours (about 0134 hours) of today, 1st July, 2021, a joint team of security operatives raided the residence of Sunday Adeniyi Adeyemo a.k.a. SUNDAY IGBOHO at Soka, Ibadan, Oyo State.
“This was based on intelligence that he had stockpiled arms in the place. On approach to the residence, the team came under heavy gun attack by nine (9) men, suspected to be IGBOHO’s guards. Six (6) of them were armed with AK-47 gun and Three (3) others, with Pump-Action riffles.
“In the course of the exchange, two (2) of IGBOHO’s armed men were gunned down while the rest were subdued and arrested.
“Only one operative who was shot by the assailants on his right hand sustained injury. He has however received medical attention and is very stable.
“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 licenses 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 the items recovered from the building, about thirteen (13) suspects including twelve (12) males and one (1) female were arrested and brought to Abuja. While one suspect is being profiled, the other twelve (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.
“Highlights of this brief are to: i. Inform Nigerians and the world that Sunday IGBOHO and his group, in the guise of campaign for self-determination, have become well-armed and determined to undermine public order. This, the arrests and seizures are, no doubt, a confirmation of a grand plan by IGBOHO and his cohorts to wage a violent insurrection against the Nigerian State.
“ii. Alert foreign missions and licencing authorities within and outside Nigeria about this development and the possibility that IGBOHO could declare some of his personal permit and identity cards missing in order to seek their replacement.
“iii. Apprise stakeholders that the Five (5) AK-47 assault rifles recovered from the building are suspected to be those collected by IGBOHO’s men from Nigerian Customs and Immigration personnel at Idi Iroko, Ogun State.
“The gun duel which lasted for an hour offered IGBOHO the chance to escape. Sunday ADEYEMO a.k.a Sunday IGBOHO is now on the run. IGBOHO may run as far as he can. He may hide as long as he wants. He might have attacked security operatives as his strength carried him. But this will be the end of his shenanigans. Soon, he will not have a hiding place. His strength will sure fail him. And the law will catch up with him. The law may be slow. But it will be steady.
“Consequently, ADEYEMO/IGBOHO is advised to turn himself in to the nearest security agency. Those cheering and eulogising him may appeal to or advise him to do the needful.
“He should surrender himself to the appropriate authorities. He or anyone can never be above the law. Meanwhile, those arrested will be charged accordingly.”
