Ilana Omo Oodua , the umbrella body of Yoruba Self-Determination Groups, has stated that the pro-Yoruba Nation’s rally scheduled to hold in Lagos State on Saturday will hold as planned.
The group made this declaration on Friday through a statement.
Mr Maxwell Adeleye, the spokesman for the group, issued the statement, under the title, “Yoruba Nation’s Rally To Hold Tomorrow in Lagos – Ilana Omo Oodua … Writes Sanwoolu, Odumosu, Says “It is the duty of Police to ensure the rally is not hijacked by hoodlums”.
Yoruba self-determination group said it had written a letter to the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Hakeem Odumosu Odumosu, and copied the Governor of the State, Mr Babatunde Sanwo-Olu, to assure them that the rally will be “peaceful, orderly and not hijacked by hoodlums as earlier insinuated by Police”.
The statement further said:
“Our rally scheduled to hold on Saturday will still hold without any fear or intimidation and we promise to be peaceful like we have always been.
“We have been peaceful, orderly and lawful everywhere we have visited, therefore, we call on the Lagos State Police Command to ensure that the rally is not hijacked by hoodlums.
“We are happy that the Police already know that hoodlums are likely to hijack the rally. Now, we call on the police to ensure such does not happen like it didn’t happen in Ekiti, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, and Ogun States respectively where we’ve held our rallies.
“It is the duty of the Police to safeguard our peaceful demonstration and protect us. On our own part, we promise to cooperate with the police towards ensuring that the rally is peaceful and orderly.”
Earlier in the week, the Place had warned the organisers to cancel the planned rally.
“On no account will any actual or rumoured activity, including the planned mega rally, be allowed to lock down the state or hinder the normal daily activities of the good people of Lagos State,” Odumosu said at a media briefing held in Alausa, Ikeja, on Thursday.
The declaration by the organisers comes amidst doubts over the possibility of the rally taking place after several warnings by security agencies asking the organisers to put off their plans.
There have also been fears whether one of the leaders of the group, Sunday Igboho would be able to attend the rally after the Department of State Security on Thursday declared him wanted after a raid on his residence in Oyo State.
The DSS announced late Thursday that it killed two people and arrest 13 others during a gun battle with people suspected to be Igboho’s security agents. The agency also captured several arms and ammunitions and charms, while admitting that Igboho escaped from the residence.
