Operatives of the Department of State Services on Wednesday stopped a rally of the Yoruba Summit Group scheduled to hold at Agodi, Ibadan, Oyo State.
The group, an amalgamation of all sociocultural and self-determination groups in Yorubaland, had converged to discuss insecurity in the South West.
The security operatives in about five buses and clad in black uniforms had arrived around 7am and cordoned off the area.
Three people including a sound system operator contracted to provide services at the event were whisked away to the DSS office at Alesinloye headquarter of the service.
A public Affairs analyst and state coordinator of Oodua Coalition Against Insurgency and Kidnapping in Yorubaland, Dr. Tunde Hamzat and another lady activist simply identified as Princess Oyeronke were among those arrested.
Confirming the arrests, the National Public Relations Officer of the Odua Peoples Congress (New Era), Comrade Adesina Akinpelu, decried the development.
Akinpelu said, “We got all the necessary approval but we were surprised to see men of the DSS arriving much earlier, even before the coalition members, with the intent to stop the rally.”
He alleged further that the DSS was still looking for other notable leaders of the coalition for possible arrest and detention.
Akinpelu said the botched rally was tagged “O to Ge’ to commemorate June 12.
“It was called to address the issue of insecurity in the land and safeguard Yoruba people who are becoming endangered in the land through incessant kidnappings and wanton attacks on their farmlands.
“We don’t want to take laws into our hands and that’s why we called the meeting to bring it to the notice of Mr. President, Muhammadu Buhari that aside declaring June 12 Democracy Day, he should also tackle the issue of insecurity in our land.”
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