By Austin Ogwuda
THE Police have launched a serious manhunt for Mrs. Dupe Onitiri-Abiola, a suspected sponsor of the invasion of the Oyo State Government Secretariat in Ibadan by some Yoruba Nation agitators.
The manhunt for Mrs. Onitiri-Abiola, a widow of the business mogul and prominent politician, the late Chief Moshood Abiola, followed her broadcast in a viral video in which she claimed responsibility for the violence that jolted the governments of the six Southwest States.
The agitators had last Saturday morning invaded the Oyo State House of Assembly complex located inside the secretariat and hoisted their flag.
They also attempted to break into the Governor’s Office, before they were repelled by security operatives.
No fewer than 21 of the agitators were apprehended and were paraded by the Police with the arms, ammunition, Military camouflage and other items recovered from them.
Oyo State Police Commissioner, Adebola Hamzat, who paraded the 21 suspects, described the invasion as a criminal, unpatriotic and a clear case of treasonable felony and terrorism, which would be meted with adequate sanctions.
Although he did not mention the name of Mrs Onitiri-Abiola, Special Adviser to the Oyo State Governor on Security Matters Mr. Fatai Owoseni said he was aware that she is leading a group of Yoruba Nation agitators.
Prof. Banji Akintoye, who is the leader of another Yoruba group along with Sunday Adeyemo (Igboho), in a statement on Saturday in which he dissociated his group from the action, alluded to the group as the one led by Mrs. Onitiri-Abiola.
Thereafter, a viral video by Mrs. Onitiri-Abiola claiming leadership of the group surfaced on social media.
Explaining how it happened on Saturday, the police chief said: “At about 8:55 a.m., information was received that some men, dressed in military-like camouflage and armed with pump action semi-automatic rifles, were sighted on motorcycles around Olomi and moving into Ibadan.
“At about 9:15 a.m., the hoodlums, later known as Yoruba Nation Agitation Group, were trailed to the State Secretariat and the premises of the Governor’s Office.
“They hoisted their flag at the House of Assembly, proclaiming the creation of a ‘Democratic Republic of the Yoruba’.
“With police reinforcement, the miscreants were warned to disperse. The agitators turned violent and opened fire on the police and a detachment of Amotekun Corps present.”
The Commissioner said the Police responded and were joined by operatives of other security agencies who suppressed the mayhem.
Source: The Nation