The leader of Ilana Omo Oodua, Professor Banji Akintoye, has condemned the attack and hijack of Radio Nigeria’s Amuludun FM in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
OsunDaily News reported on Sunday that the state Police Command arrested five suspected Yoruba nation agitators for hijacking the radio station around 5:30 am on Sunday and announcing their separatist agenda.
The police said the agitators stopped the programme and started making their own broadcast with comments like “Oodua Nation has come to stay”, “Yoruba no more under the Federal Republic of Nigeria” and “United Nations will soon declare Oodua Nation”.
Reacting to the incident in a statement on Sunday by his spokesman, Olatunde Amusat, Akintoye stated that his Yoruba group has no relationship with the persons who hijacked the radio station.
The Professor said the struggle of his Yoruba group for a separate nation has been peaceful and law-abiding, stressing that the group had repeatedly warned the group to stop their criminal activities.
The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to the activities of a group led by a woman, who claimed to be running a totally different agenda for Yoruba emancipation.
“The group has been engaging again and again in criminal activities. The group has been warned repeatedly but has refused to change.
“We have written a 34-page manual to guide our followers and all Yoruba people about the peaceful and law-abiding, self-determination struggle.
“We have written to the outgoing President of Nigeria and UN Secretary-General about our legitimate demand for self-determination for our Yoruba nation.
“We have emphasised to everyone that our struggle is peaceful and law-abiding.”
