The Cable
By Femi Owolabi
Some agitators for a Yoruba nation attempted to open the Idiroko border in Ipokia LGA of Ogun state on Saturday.
The border links Nigeria with the republic of Benin.
The federal government had in August, 2019 shut land borders in a move to check smuggling activities along the posts.
The agitators who staged a protest at the border insisted on the reopening of the border.
In a video making the rounds, the agitators were seen calling out security operatives saying; “we are going to open this border.”
The agitators were seen marching around, and some with banners bearing the Yoruba nation.
Chanting “Yoruba nation, no going back,” the agitators were also seen moving towards the border gate and then started destroying it.
There were a few security personnel at the scene and the agitators could be heard calling to disarm them
Gunshots were heard but it was not clear if it were coming from the agitators.
Hammed Oloyede, public relations officer of Ogun 1 area command of the Nigeria Customs Service, however said the agitators were stopped by security operatives.
“There was no attack on our patrol bases or checkpoints. Those guys were just doing their own. They tried to attack one patrol point, but it was repelled. The situation is under control. There is no problem,” he said.
Earlier, Sunday Adeyemo, youth leader better known as Sunday Igboho, had declared that the Yorubas are no longer part of Nigeria.
He had also called for the opening of the border.
“All our borders that Nigerian government closed, we are telling them we are no longer under them, we will go and open the borders. We are ready for everything they want to do to us. I am speaking on behalf of Yoruba people,” he had said.
This news originally appeared in The Cable.
