IBADAN, Nigeria – The Oyo State Government has demolished the headquarters of the Yoruba Nation agitators in Ibadan on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, evening, just hours after the group’s members were arraigned in court.
The operation marks a continuing crackdown on separatist movements within the state.
The building, located on Toye Oyesola Street in the Ibadan South West Local Government Area, served as the nerve center for the Yoruba Nation agitators led by Modupe Onitiri-Abiola.
Earlier in the day, 29 members of the group faced multiple charges in court including treasonable felony and unlawful assembly, highlighting the government’s stern approach to quelling secessionist activities.
On Saturday, April 13, masked individuals believed to be part of the Yoruba Nation movement had attempted an incursion into the Oyo Government Secretariat, prompting swift action by security forces.
The suspects were apprehended and subsequently brought before the Chief Magistrate Court in Ibadan.
Inspector Bakare Rasaq of the State Criminal Investigation Department presented the charges, which encompass illegal possession of firearms and behaviour likely to incite public disorder.
These charges are severe, with penalties that could include lengthy prison terms, reflecting the state’s stringent policies against organized dissent.
The court case, identified as Mi/520c/2024, pits the Commissioner of Police against the 29 detained individuals.
This follows an earlier arrest of 21 suspects, indicating a growing number in custody as authorities intensify their efforts to dismantle the group’s operations.
The demolition and the court proceedings have ignited discussions on the balance between national security and the rights to free speech and assembly, as local and international observers watch closely.
