…..Rally, plot to break up Nigeria by foreign interests-DSS
The Ilana Omo Odua,the group in the vanguard of rallies being held all over South West for Yoruba self determination has commended the Nigeria Police for the matured way it handled the rally held in Abeokuta,Saturday,May I.
In a statement signed by its General Secretary,Opeoluwa George Akinola, the group commended the public who came out for the massive support to the protest which went round Abeokuta,the state capital.
It however,commended the Nigeria Police for releasing the 11 earlier arrested at the commencement of the protest.
Full statement below:
*ON THE LAST ROAD TO LIBERATION: THE MARCH GOES ON!*
REPORT ON THE ABEOKUTA RALLY.
The ILANA OMO OODUA and all its affiliate organisations wish to express our profuse gratitude and appreciation to the teeming Yoruba public for their massive support during the just concluded Abeokuta Mega Rally.
The rally commenced in front of the Alake Palace grounds around 10:30am after an initial refusal of the police high command to allow us.
We prevailed on the police by emphasising the peaceful nature of our rally and our inalienable right to free association and free assembly, especially while paying homage to our father, the Alake of Egbaland. The police grudgingly conceded while imploring us not to gather at one spot, nor allow a hijack by enemies of our movement.
Special commendation in this regard must be paid to Mr. Ayo Edun, the officer in charge who led the police to the rally grounds for his maturity and sagacity in cooperating with us and ensuring the release of eleven of our men who were previously arrested before the.commencement of the rally.
The rally took off from the front of the Alake Palace. We went round the main dual carriage road in front of the Palace three times before marching to Panseke, enroute Itoku, Itoro and Lafenwa, all within the burgeoning city.
Along the way, we stopped to address the masses in front of the Palace of the Olowu of Owu, and at the Panseke and Itoku roundabouts.
The rally continued at an incremental mass until we broke it off to go and secure the release of the arrested men.
The leaders we sent to secure their release had just succeeded in doing so as we arrived at Eleweran Police headquarters. We persuaded the marchers to depart as the police had honoured their words to release all the eleven men as they promised.
We.must all salute the strength, character, forthrightness and sacrifice of Mrs. Titilayo Ajoke Ojeleye, Iyalode Itori, Abeokuta and leader of Egbe Yoruba Niwa, Omo K’ootu Oliver, who hosted and coordinated the highly successful Abeokuta rally with Ilana Omo Oodua. She gave her all, even marched with us all the way, at her advanced age. We are immensely proud of her all her associates, including Mr. Ibukun John, Korede Okungbowa and Sheriff Akinola Salaudeen.
Special mention must be made of the Ilana Omo Oodua leaders who rendezvous with us at Abeokuta: the Assistant General Secretary, Dr. Kayode Akinwande, the Ogun state coordinator, Mr. Olawale Taofeek, the Oyo state coordinator, Alhaji Quasim Onikeke, the Ondo state coordinator, Mr. Adeyemi Adetunji, the Kogi state coordinator, Mr. Funso Mojuba, the Delta and Edo states representative, Mr Isaac Ajatiton, Pastor Emmanuel Apata, Comrade Bangbopa Mr. Wale Balogun, Mr Iyanda Wasiu and Comrade Makanjuola Adigun among may others too numerous to mention. Delegations were led from Oyo, Ogun, Lagos, Ondo, Osun, Ekiti, Kogi, Kwara, Delta and Edo states.
Going foward in this struggle, and to achieve our goals speedily and with the most minimal of casualties, we must instruct our youths and young cadres to maintain discipline and keep to order. They must stick to the form of the struggle as defined by our Baba, the Alana Gbogbo Yoruba, Emeritus Prof. Banji Akintoye.
This is a method to which Ilana Omo Oodua is committed and which the organisation has adopted to wage this battle.
It is failsafe.
We have chosen the path of peace and non violence if the oppressor will not provoke the raw nerves of our people. However, we shall NEVER concede one square inch of Yoruba territory under any guise to any masquerading invader and we shall uncompromisingly defend our rights to free association, free speech and free assembly!
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The young men are advised to follow the leadership who are fearlessly leading from the front and keep the structured form earlier established.
We thank all those who actively participated and/or supported the rally.
It was massively successful, just like the Ibadan mega rally before it.
Opeoluwa George Akinola
Secretary General
Ilana Omo Oodua.
DSS condemns plot to break up Nigeria, says foreign interests involved
However,in its response,the Department of State Services (DSS) has condemned which it described as alleged plot by some people to destabilise Nigeria.
The service in a statement , Sunday made available to newsnen,berated the unsavoury statements by misguided elements who have continued to threaten the government, sovereignty and corporate existence of this country.
The DSS in the statement signed by Peter Afunanya, the
Public Relations Officer expressed disappointment at the unnecessary vituperations and activities of some religious and past political leaders who have either called for forceful change of government or mass action against it.
The group said it has been established that the main objective for these is to cause a disintegration of the country.
Full statement below:
“It is unfortunate that those in the forefront of this are respectable individuals who should be patriotic and not allow their personal ambitions to ruin the nation. The Service has also noted their desperation and penchant to collaborate with external forces and influences against Nigeria” the DSS said.
It said even though democracy offers free speech, it does not give room to reckless pronouncements capable of undermining security.
“It is instructive to note that the ballot box remains the vehicle of change in a democracy” said the group adding that self-centred individuals and groups are warned to stop engaging in acts inimical to the peace and sovereignty of this nation.
“In the same manner, influential personalities should be sensitive to the emerging situations and guard against divisive and inciting utterances that may cause a breakdown of law and order. Recently, the Service invited and cautioned some persons who deniably recounted their earlier statements or said they were quoted out of context. The public should be wary of such individuals and their co-travellers who, incite them in the open but, turn in the secret to retrieve their words after they had caused the damage.”
It said while the Service reaffirms its unambiguous support to an indivisible, indisolluble and united Nigerian State in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, it will no longer tolerate deliberate machinations by subversive and hostile groups whose agenda is to throw the country into anarchy so as to serve the interests of their sponsors. Consequently, the Servcie is assiduously working with other security and law enforcement agencies to ensure the maintenance of peace and internal security of the country.
