July 21, (THEWILL) – Yoruba Nation agitators will on Wednesday protest the arrest and detention of Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly called Sunday Igboho, in Benin Republic.
The protest, scheduled for this Wednesday afternoon, will take place at Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
THEWILL reports that Igboho, who was arrested along with his wife, at an airport in Cotonou on Monday night, is still being held by the Beninise authorities.
A notice of the protest was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by Igboho’s spokesperson, Olayomi Koiki.
It reads: “Emergency Emergency Emergency Emergency, Please we beg all agitators to converge at Chief Sunday Igboho’s house for a peaceful demonstration to show the world the kind of person he is as one of the conditions given for his release …
“Please let’s all be at his house in Soka, Ibadan, before 12 O’Clock today. Thanks and God Bless. Yoruba Nation Now Now Now.”
Meanwhile, supporters of the “Yoruba Nation” have vowed not to relent in their campaign for self-determination, declaring they will present their case at the 76th UN General Assembly in September.
The 76th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 76) will open on Tuesday, 14th September 2021 at New York, USA.
The first day of the high-level General Debate will be Tuesday, 21st September 2021 and the session will end on Thursday, 30th September 2021.
One of the leaders of the umbrella body of Yoruba self-determination groups, Ilana Omo Odua, Professor Wale Adeniran, in a zoom conversation organised by UK-based Heritage Multimedia TV on Tuesday evening, explained that the UN General Assembly would be an opportunity to explain the Yoruba Nation agitation to world leaders.
Adeniran, a pioneer Commissioner of Education in Osun State, and former Director of Institute of African Studies at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, disclosed he would speak to Professor Banji Akintoye, a renowned leader of the movement, with respect to participating in the session as parts of efforts to consolidate the ongoing struggle.
Adeniran said: “…that’s a golden opportunity for us to present our case forcefully, before the entire world. So that one week, impress it on all Yoruba people all over the world to descend on New York, and the UN general assembly.
“I am going to point out to Prof. Akintoye that we would have to be part of the event in the US.”
While giving an update of the Yoruba Nation petition submitted to the International Criminal Court (ICC), he said: “The ball is in our court to begin to push our case and continue to shout it.
“We’ve submitted our letter and it has been acknowledged; it is now left for us to embark on aggressive propaganda for the ICC to look into the case, you know they are humans too.
“That we have filed a petition is not sufficient, we have to keep making noise about it.”
Akintoye, who spoke at the virtual session, charged all supporters not to give up on the struggle.
While he commended the efforts of the media in supporting the struggle, he expressed dismay over those spreading false rumours and false reportage about Sunday Igboho.
The group also endorsed the ongoing petition being pushed by the Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self-Determination (NINAS), which urged the Federal Government to conduct a referendum.
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