Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho, and leader of the umbrella body of Yoruba self-determination groups, Ilana Oodua, Prof Banji Akintoye, were absent from a mega rally organised by their supporters in Lagos on Saturday.
Although both Akintoye and Igboho did not attend the rally, their supporters along with other agitators, stormed the venue of the mega rally with placards with various inscriptions.
The police in Lagos had on Thursday and Friday warned Igboho and Akintoye not to come to the state for any rally.
Akintoye, Igboho and their supporters have been campaigning across the South-West states for secession of a Yoruba Nation out from Nigeria, citing injustice meted out to the people of the region and worsening insecurity as reasons for their agitation.
The Federal Government has, however, insisted on the unity and indivisibility of Nigeria.
On Saturday morning, the agitators had stormed the Gani Fawehinmi Park in Ojota, Lagos, with many of them dressed in Yoruba African traditional religion regalia, chanting war songs and demanding for a separate Yoruba Nation.
The agitators defied police and other security agents, who had earlier taken over the Gani Fawehinmi Park venue, to hold the rally in support of their for the secession of the South-West from the rest of Nigeria.
Heavily armed security operatives, including policemen, troops of the Nigerian Army and operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps took position at the Park to stop the protesters.
Operatives of the Department of State Services were also said to be on guard at the rally venue with scores of patrol vans, heavy anti-riot gun trucks and Black Marias strategically positioned.
In the commotion caused by sporadic shooting by the security agents at the protesters at the venue, a teenage sales girl around the area was killed by stray bullets as she attempted to open a shop where she was assisting in the sale of drinks.
Igboho, who is a key figure in the Akintoye-led group, has since gone underground, following a manhunt launched for him by the Department of State Services.
DSS declared the Yoruba Nation agitator wanted for allegedly stockpiling arms.
Ilana Oodua and Igboho’s media aide, Olayomi Koiki, had insisted on holding the Lagos rally inspite of the DSS’ raid of Igboho’s Ibadan house on Thursday during which two of Igboho’s associates were killed.