Osun State Police arrest three suspected Yoruba nation members

The Osun State Police Command has acted swiftly to apprehend three individuals suspected of involvement with the proscribed Yoruba Nation movement.

The suspects—Fagbayi Oluwafemi (61), Joy Faseyeku (63), and Alabede Janet (64)—were arrested at Obada Market in Ikire for alleged conspiracy, unlawful assembly, secession, and treasonable felony.

Deputy Police Public Relations Officer Giwa-Alade Emmanuel reported that the arrests followed credible information received on August 27, 2024.

The suspects were allegedly urging traders to support the Yoruba Nation and abandon their allegiance to Nigeria, with claims that the country ceased to exist after its 100-year amalgamation in 2014.

During the incident, they displayed the Yoruba Nation flag.

Following a preliminary investigation, the case was referred to the State Criminal Investigation Department.

Additional investigations led to the arrests of Faseyeku and Janet in Osogbo and Ikire, respectively.

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Recovered from the suspects were several items, including the Oodua Nation flag, a tripod stand, a megaphone, two mobile phones, handbills, and a baseball cap emblazoned with the Oodua Nation logo.

The police emphasized that the suspects’ actions were clear violations of the law. Investigations have concluded, and the suspects have been charged in the Federal High Court.

This incident occurs amid rising tensions related to the Yoruba Nation movement, which has seen divisions among proponents advocating for regional governance versus those calling for outright secession.