A group, Ilana Omo Oodua, says it is assembling senior Yoruba lawyers to secure the release of the aides of Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho, arrested during the raid by the Department of State Services on the activist’s Ibadan, Oyo State residence.
Following last Thursday’s invasion of his house during which the DSS killed two persons and arrested 13 others, Igboho went underground.
Ilana Omo Oodua’s Communication Secretary, Mr Maxwell Adeleye, said on Sunday that the group led by a renowned historian, Prof Banji Akintoye, would continue to support Igboho and others.
Adeleye also said the group would ensure that the agitators arrested during last Saturday’s Yoruba Nation rally in Lagos were released.
He argued that Igboho’s aides did not commit any crime, adding that the arrested agitators too did not violate any law by protesting.
According to him, “The counsel for Igboho, Chief Yomi Aliu (SAN), has written the DSS, Inspector General of Police.
“Igboho is a law abiding person and he has not violated any law. None of his family members was attacked by herdsmen but his love for his people made him rise up to speak for Yoruba people who are being oppressed in their land. He never killed anyone, but he is being hunted while known criminals are being pampered.
“Igboho has debunked the claims of the DSS. He said the weapons displayed by the DSS did not belong to him. He said two guns were taken away from his house and the two guns belong to the police orderlies of his guests. He said other things were not from his house.
“Ilana Omo Oodua is with Igboho and we are going to stand by him. Those arrested at his house will be released very soon. We are working on that. After all, they did not find them with guns or anything incriminating. Their only offence is that they were at Igboho’s house and I don’t know when that became an offence.
“What is the off made of Lady K, she is a blogger who was reporting the action live. She lives in Igboho house and I don’t know if that is a crime.”
“Nigerian government will be surprised by the number of senior Yoruba lawyers that will represent them. We won’t tell you their names and their number now because we won’t discuss all our strategies publicly.”