Mr Sunday Igboho, the leader of the pro-Yoruba Nation agitators including the umbrella body of Yoruba self-determination groups, Ilana Omo Oodua (IOO), Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self-Determination (NINAS), have called off their planned Lagos rally.
The planned rally by Mr Sunday Igboho was said to have been called off after an alleged attack at his residence by security operatives.
According to Igboho’s Spokesperson, Olayomi Koiki, two persons were said to have been killed while cars and valuable items were destroyed during the attack on Igboho’s house in the early hours of Thursday.
Yoruba Nation rally had taken place in Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Ekiti and Oyo States. In some cases, police and ‘the weather’ forcefully dispersed the agitators.
In apprehension of what Saturday may bring, many public events, especially weddings billed for the day have been abruptly cancelled and postponed over fears of the rally turning violence.
But Mr Igboho has now said the mega rally planned for Saturday will no longer hold after the attack on his house, he told BBC Pidgin.
Igboho alleged that the attack was carried out by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian army.
It was observed that cars and walls of the house were riddled with bullets during the invasion.
He said, “I just heard plenty bullets in my compound and gunshot in front of my house. They were shouting Sunday Igboho come out, we are DSS, we are soldiers, come out!
“So I peeped through the window, and I saw them in DSS uniform, and soldiers, so I was surprised because I didn’t kill anyone nor fought with anybody, what I’m doing is to fight for my people.
“All the rally I’m doing is a peaceful rally, so I’m fighting for my family too because all the bandits killed my family, raped them, kidnapped them and take ransom from them.
“Government refused to do the right thing, that’s why I came out to support my family to fight for our rights. So I was surprised.
“Yes, I was in the house when they came. They killed about two guys. The shooting was too much. They destroyed all my properties, all my vehicles.”
Igboho, an Oyo indigene, has been in the news in recent times after he issued a one-week quit notice to Fulani herdsmen residing in Ibarapa area of Oyo State in January over the spate of kidnappings and killings attributed to herdsmen in the area.
Igboho’s spokesman, Olayomi Koiki, said the Yoruba Nation Agitator was not arrested during the raid.
“He (Sunday Igboho) is currently safe,” the aide said.
He further said, “The situation now is very bad.
“Two Yoruba sons have been killed in the house of Chief Sunday Igboho. The two dead bodies have been taken away by the military. We do not know of the location where they were taken to”