Gbenro Adesina
The Lagos planned rally slated for today for the actualisation of the creation of Yoruba Nation is ongoing at the Gani Fawehinmi Park in Ojota, Lagos, despite the attempts of the security operatives to abort it.
The participants pointed out that their outing is not a protest but a rally to demand for the creation of Yoruba Nation, since the Nigeria project has completely failed under the leadership of the nation’s president, General Muhammadu Buhari.
Those involved in the rally urged the police not to kill them because they were not out to fight but to demand for their legitimate rights, calling on the United Nations and the international community to wade into the Nigerian situation before it becomes a major crisis.
One of them said, “We want Yoruba Nation. I am ready to die for this cause. We are asking for our right. The Nigerian security operatives are not protecting the citizens of the South West but they are protecting terrorists and Fulani. We are saying that Buhari should not be allowed to turn Nigeria to a Fulani nation or Moslem nation. Nigeria is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation. They are not protecting us, they are only protecting Fulani. If Moshood Kashimawo Abiola (MKO) and Jesus Christ could sacrifice themselves for various reasons, we are ready to sacrifice ourselves for Yoruba Nation”.
A woman also said, “We are not here to fight anybody. We just want our rights. They should not shoot us. As you can see, women are many. These people should not kill women and younger ones including the men, who are tired of being victimised in their own nation. It is only Fulani people and Hausa people that are enjoying the nation. They are behaving as if the country belong to them alone. Buhari has failed us. He deceived us into voting for him. He said that he is not ethnically bias and he is not a religious bigot, but we have found out that he is a religious bigot and he is ethnically bias. He does not qualify to be a president. He should have contested for the chairmanship of his local government or governor of his state. He cannot succeed in killing the whole of the Yoruba people before we actualise Yoruba Nation”.
However, joint security operatives comprising men of the Nigeria Police and military personnel have stormed Ojota, venue of the planned Yoruba Nation rally to ensure that the rally does not hold.
Leading the security operatives is the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu.
Heavily armed soldiers were seen giving the police adequate back up and ready for showdown with the Yoruba people who wanted to stage the rally.
Sighting some protesters, the police attacked by shooting tear gas and spraying hot water to disperse the protesters.
It is gathered that some people have been arrested.
Speaking to the newsmen, CP Odumosun, heavily armed, said that the rally could not hold because the protesters did not get police permit and they did not fulfil police conditions to hold rally.
He said that the security would not allow them to hold the rally because of the fear that miscreants would highjack the rally adding that they did not want what happened during the EndSAR’s protest to repeat itself.
“We are just being security conscious and proactive. Recall that on Thursday, I listed reasons why this rally must not hold. We learnt that some miscreants have perfected plans to seize the opportunity to cause mayhem in the society. Though the organisers of the rally made frantic efforts to say it will go peaceful, you and I know what happened during #EndSARS protests. EndSARS started peacefully but up till now, Lagos State has not been able to get out of the destruction that happened during the EndSARS”.
