July 02, (THEWILL) – The spokesperson to Yoruba secessionist agitator, Olayomi Koiki, has insisted that the planned Yoruba Nation rally in Lagos would hold on Saturday despite a police warning.
Koiki in a Facebook broadcast on Friday said the Nigerian police should be held responsible if the Lagos rally turned violent.
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, had warned at a media briefing held in Alausa, Ikeja, on Thursday, that, “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.”
But Igboho’s media aide noted that the rally would proceed with or without his boss, who had reportedly withdrawn.
He said, “I heard that the Commissioner of Police said no rally will hold; tell them to expect us. We will know who owns Lagos on Saturday between Yoruba people or Sanwo-Olu or police. We will all meet on Saturday during the rally.
“If everything will be ruined, let it be on Saturday. They have the choice of letting us have our protest peacefully or causing violence. Police should be held responsible for any violence. Let us take all our grievances to Ojota at 9 am on Saturday.”
THEWILL reports that the umbrella body of Yoruba self-determination groups, Ilana Omo Oodua, insisted that the Yoruba Nation rally will hold in the state as scheduled.
The group, in a statement signed by its leader, Professor Banji Akintoye, and issued on Thursday to newsmen by his Communications Manager, Maxwell Adeleye, had said: “We want to confirm again that the Pro-Yoruba Nation rally scheduled to hold on Saturday, July 3rd, in Lagos will proceed as scheduled.”
Koiki claimed that officials of the Department of State Services took away a cat when they raided the activist’s house in Soka, Oyo State on Thursday.
According to him, the security operatives thought Igboho turned into the cat in a bid to escape arrest.
He also alleged that the DSS officials of taking more than they displayed during a parade on Thursday evening in Abuja.
Koiki claimed that the security operatives took millions of naira and jewellery during the raid.
He said, “Chief Sunday Igboho escaped not because he was stronger, but God rescued him. How will they say that they saw one dollar?
“They can label anyone, but we will not back down. They want Igboho dead. The target was to kill him but they failed.
“They took one of his cats away, thinking he transformed into a cat during the attack to escape. All the allegations against Igboho should be for terrorists killing people in the country.”
On why some of Igboho’s security aides shot at the DSS officials, he said, “So, if someone came to attack me and I have a gun, won’t I defend myself?”
He also called kings in Yorubaland to rise in defence of Igboho, saying, “Is it until they kill Igboho like Bola Ige and Dele Giwa before you speak out. Yoruba obas must speak out.”
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