As a result of the rally organised by the Yoruba Nation in Osogbo on Saturday, most businesses in the capital city shut down their operations over security concerns.
Most affected was the popular Osun Mall located at Fakunle Area of the state capital.
Most customers were locked out of the mall and outside its main gate.
It was gathered that during a visit to the mall that its management locked up the complex to avoid a repetition of events on the night of Saturday 17th of October, 2020.
Recalls that on Saturday 17th October 2020 scores of armed young men riding motorcycles stormed the mall, vandalised and carted away items worth millions of naira especially smartphones and laptops.
Other businesses and shopping complexes followed suit while others conducted their business with apprehension, awaiting the outcome of the rally.
Sakiru Idowu, the manager of a popular phone shop inside the mall newsmen that when the news got to them in the mall that the Yoruba Nation was meeting for a protest in Osogbo, they took it as nothing but when they got wind of the arrival of Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho fear and panic gripped everyone in the mall and the decision to close the main gate of the mall was reached and action was taken instantly.
A customer, Isiaka said he was at the mall to get some groceries but was surprised to find the gate under lock and key.
He said, “I then asked a gateman and vigilante at the gate reasons for the closure and was told it is because of the ongoing Yoruba Nation rally in Osogbo to forestall a repeat of the incident that happened during the EndSARS protests where some hoodlums hijacked the protests and raided the mall.”
Aremu Kehinde said he was at the mall at noon but discovered that the gate was locked because of the Yoruba Nation rally.
Newsflash Nigeria had reported earlier that scores of Yoruba Nation agitators dressed in various outfits had stormed Osogbo in the morning.
It was gathered that the protest had started from the Africa area of the state capital to the main protest ground at Freedom Park.
Sunday Igboho’s arrival at the venue of the protest, which had a heavy presence of security personnel drawn from the Nigerian Police, Directorate of State Security (DSS), Joint Task Force (JTF) and Amotekun Corps heightened the fear among residents.
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Igboho during a rally in Osogbo by the Yoruba nation to demand an independent nation warned against their continued detention.
He warned Oyo State, the Federal governments and the Nigeria Police to immediately release all members of the Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) in custody over the arrest of the Fulani warlord, Isikilu Wakili in Ibarapa.
He gave a weeks’ ultimatum to Oyo State and the federal governments to release the arrested OPC members before all Yorubas troop out en masse to protest it.
Recall that the Oyo State Police Command announced that it took into custody some members of the Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) in connection with the earlier arrest of Isikilu Wakili.
Igboho said “I urge the Oyo, Federal Governments and police to release OPC member who arrested Fulani herdsmen terrorising Yoruba people in Ibarapa land immediately. Before all Yorubas will come out en masse to protest against it.
“They apprehended some Fulanis who were disrupting the peace of Ibarapa and handed them over to the police. But the Oyo State Police and Nigerian Government now arrested them which should not be so.”
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Earlier, Newsflash Nigeris had reported that Yoruba nation agitators armed with placards, chanting secession songs converged at the November 27 bridge in Osogbo.
While distributing handbills to residents, the agitators marched from the November 27 bridge through Ogo-Oluwa, Ola-Iya to Freedom pack.
The Yoruba agitator, Igboho arrived at the venue of the rally around 1:45 pm on Saturday.
Igboho while speaking at the protest said there will be no election in Yoruba land in 2023.
He added that the Yoruba nation must leave now as it is no more a slave to the northerners.
Igboho said Governor Gboyega Oyetola allowed the Yoruba nation agitators to hold the rally in Osun and provided them with security.
While seeking unity among Yorubas, Igboho asked all that are aggrieved to come together.
However, one of the Yoruba nation promoters, Akin Adejuwon, a lecturer of Cultural Studies at Obafemi Awolowo University, who was a Director-General, National Troupe of Nigeria said the protest is eye-opening for Yoruba youths to take over and fight for Oduduwa nation.
“We are here to enlighten and sensitise the youths. The youth are the owners of the Yoruba land. The Fulani enslavers and murderers, must not take our land from us.
“A thousand generation of the Fulani herdsmen cannot overpower the Yoruba youths. We are not one of those who live in the bush. Some animals living in the forest cannot claim our lands.
“We are here to awake the youths’ consciousness to what is right. We are here to educate the youth against voting in 2023.
