Police in Oyo State have launched the search for sponsors of arrested Yoruba nation agitators who invaded the government secretariat in Ibadan on Saturday, April 13.
The agitators attempted to take over the Oyo State House of Assembly complex within the secretariat and raised their flag there.
The State Commissioner of Police Mr. Adebola Hamzat while parading the arrested suspects before the press, revealed that 21 agitators were arrested and some confessed the identities of their sponsors.
Hamzat recounted to the press that during the invasion, a member of the Amotekun Corps was injured, and an agitator resisting arrest was wounded in a gunfight. However, no deaths were reported.
His words:
“On Saturday, at about 8:55 a.m., information was received that some men, dressed in military-like camouflage and armed with pump action semi-automatic rifles were sighted on motorcycles around Olomi and moving into Ibadan.
“At about 9:15 a.m., the hoodlums, later known as Yoruba Nation Agitation Group, were trailed to the State Secretariat and to the premises of the governor’s office.
“They hoisted their flag at the House of Assembly, proclaiming the creation of a Democratic Republic of the Yoruba.
“With police reinforcement, the miscreants were warned to disperse. The agitators turned violent and opened fire on the police and a detachment of Amotekun Corps present.”
The agitators, armed with rifles, had opened fire on police and Amotekun Corps, prompting security agencies to suppress the unrest.
Police recovered incriminating items from different locations within Oyo State.
Five rifles, two wooden double barrel guns, and various items were seized from the agitators.
Hamzat stressed the importance of preserving Nigeria’s unity as a sovereign and indivisible nation, adding that the Oyo State Police was committed to safeguarding the country’s unity and honouring the sacrifices of past heroes.
“The continued existence of Nigeria as a sovereign indivisible entity is a task that must be accomplished.
“The labours of our heroes past shall never be in vain. Police in Oyo State will be unrelenting in ensuring the continued united corporate existence of Nigeria as a country,” he said.