The call for Oduduwa Republic deepens as thousands of youths, women, and some leaders of Yoruba occupied streets in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The protesters led by a Yoruba group, “Ilana Omo Oodua” headed by Professor Banji Akintoye, a former Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, are clamoring for self-determination.
Although the Nigerian Police force and other security operatives have taken over the streets to prevent the demonstration from holding, the protest, which was supposed to start around 9 am on Saturday, could not start until 11 am due to heavy security presence at the entrance and around Mapo Hall.
It will be recalled that the Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo Igboho has been one of the leading members clamouring for the creation of the Oduduwa Republic. This agitation came after the ugly incident that happened at Igangan, Iparapa local government, in Oyo State that led to the killing of Dr. Fatai Aborode by Fulani herdsmen.
Aside from the killing of this innocent Dr. Fatai Aborode, there are also series of cases of rape, kidnapping that are ravaging the people of the Southwest. Due to these criminal activities bedeviling the people of Southwest had prompted the aging attempt by some Yoruba leaders to create the Oduduwa Republic.
Before now, some Yoruba leaders and elders have disagreed over the self-determination agenda organised by critical stakeholders in the Southwest. The leaders have warned that if the agenda is not dropped, it may consume the people of the South-West.
In the same vein, the Minister of Interior and former governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, has also warned that calls for separation by some ethnic groups are “expensive and can be disruptive.”
Aregbesola expressed this at his investiture as grand patron by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Southwest Zone, and conferment of the award of excellence in leadership, held at the Premier Hotel, Ibadan, Aregbesola some weeks ago. He tagged the call as an ill-wind that would not do anyone good and would take a great toll on the development of the country.
Also, the Secretary-General of YCE, Chief Kunle Olajide criticised Igboho and others who are demanding the separation of power and creation of Yoruba Nation. Olajide stressed that any attempt by the Yoruba to secede from Nigeria without proper planning would spell doom and could lead the Yoruba populace to mass suicide.
He argued that though the Yoruba have been suffering the greatest loss in the Nigerian project and most people are frustrated, exiting the country would not be the solution.