Despite the cancellation of the Yoruba Nation tmrally slated for Lagos on Saturday by leading Yoruba activist, Sunday Igboho, the Umbrella body of Yoruba Self-Determination Groups, Ilana Omo Oodua, on Friday insisted on going ahead with the rally as scheduled.
A statement by the group’s spokesman, Maxwell Adeleye, entitled, “Yoruba Nation’s Rally To Hold Tomorrow in Lagos – Ilana Omo Oodua … Writes Sanwoolu, Odumosu’, said the police has the responsibility to ensure that hoodlums do not hijacj the rally.
The Lagos State Police Command had banned rallies in the metropolis. According to the state Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu, who spoke at s briefing on Thursday:
“On no account will any actual or rumoured activity, including the planned mega rally, be allowed to lock down the state or hinder the normal daily activities of the good people of Lagos State.”
Nevertheless, the pro Yoruba self-determination group said it had written a letter to the CP, and copied the Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Sanwo-Olu, to assure them that the rally would be “peaceful, orderly and not hijacked by hoodlums as earlier insinuated by Police”.
The statement read in part: “Our rally scheduled to hold on Saturday will still hold without any fear or intimidation and we promise to be peaceful like we have always been.
“We have been peaceful, orderly and lawful at everywhere we have visited, therefore, we call on the Lagos State Police Command to ensure that the rally is not hijacked by hoodlums.
“We are happy that the Police already know that hoodlums are likely to hijack the rally. Now, we call on the police to ensure such does not happen like it didn’t happen in Ekiti, Ondo, Osun, Oyo and Ogun States respectively where we’ve held our rallies.
“It is the duty of the Police to safeguard our peaceful demonstration and protect us. On our own part, we promise to cooperate with the police towards ensuring that the rally is peaceful and orderly.”
