Yoruba Nation: Akintoye writes Buhari, begs for negotiation, audience – Newstrends
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Yoruba Nation: Akintoye writes Buhari, begs for negotiation, audience

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Professor Banji Akintoye

Leader of the Yoruba Self-Determination Struggle, Professor Banji Akintoye has urged President Muhammadu Buhari for a direct negotiation towards the realization of Yoruba nation’s self-determination and the establishment of sovereign nation-state.

According to a letter signed by Akintoye, under the name of a United States of America based Foundation called Yoruba Self-Determination Movement (YSDM), on behalf of the Yoruba people, he said that the movement want the Nigerian government to set up negotiation team that will meet and dialogue with Yoruba nation’s representatives not later than Friday September 30, 2022.

Akintoye said that thjre process became necessary considering the false hope of unity promoted by the British colonial officials and imposed on all at Independence has not been achievable in the past sixty years of Independence.
The letter reads: “Rather, not only has unity proved impossible to achieve, outright anarchy has taken over.

We Yoruba therefore seek to discontinue our association with Nigeria, and to do so in an orderly and peaceful manner.
“Because we are an ancient civilization with solid modern achievements in education today, and a people with an old tradition of accepting and interacting smoothly and productively with various peoples throughout our history, we can live harmoniously with ethnic and cultural diversity in the same country.

“But we have painfully concluded that sustained attacks by one ethnic group on us and other ethnic groups in the same country, and a plan of conquest and subjugation by one ethnic group against the other groups in the same country, represent a conclusive negation of the existence and legitimacy of Nigeria.

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We can no longer bear the pain and indignity of living in constant fear and mourning, like a conquered and subjugated people, in our homeland.

“We have been attacked by heavily armed marauders and militias, who have been invading our homeland for many years from the Northern part of the country of Nigeria to which we belong.

These marauders have relentlessly killed our people, destroying farms and villages, raping and killing our women, kidnapping our people, and extorting large amounts of money for ransom.

“There are no official numbers for our Yoruba people who have been violently killed in these atrocities (because the government shows no real concern about the killings), but a rough estimate of 29, 000 is now generally circulating among us, an estimate which many of our people believe to be too low. (It is important that even the Sultan of Sokoto has once said that the killings across the country are being under-reported). These atrocities have forced an estimated majority of our farmers to abandon farming altogether a development that is now pulling our nation down into a devastating famine, and into unimaginable poverty.

“Meanwhile, in what we Yoruba believe to be the preparation for this final Fulani aggression in our Yoruba homeland part of Nigeria, tens of thousands of heavily armed Fulani mujaheedin, reinforced by Boko Haram, ISWAP, Al Qaida and Al Shabaab terrorists, have occupied countless locations in our Yoruba forests and are being supplied there with food and weapons by air from hidden sources in Northern Nigeria.

“Mr. President, we therefore dutifully draw your attention to the fact that since we launched our agitation for our Yoruba nation’s self-determination in the year 2019, we have unfailingly pursued the agitation through peaceful means. Our people have established over one hundred self-determination organizations, each solemnly committed to contributing in peaceful and law-abiding ways to our self-determination agitation.

“The Yoruba Self-Determination Movement (YSDM) respectfully writes this letter to you for and on behalf of the indigenous Yoruba people of the southwest of Nigeria, inclusive of the Yoruba citizens of the six states of the Yoruba southwest zone (Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo States ) and the Yoruba citizens of parts of Kogi, Kwara and Delta States, all south of the Middle Niger River in Nigeria.

“The Yoruba Self-Determination Movement is a movement comprising well over one hundred Yoruba Self-Determination organizations based at home in the Yoruba homeland in Nigeria and abroad in most countries of the world. The Yoruba Self-Determination Movement collaborates the said many Yoruba Self-Determination organizations in the highest services of the Yoruba Self-Determination agitation and struggle.
“Mr President, the Yoruba Self-Determination Movement now serves you notice of the decision of the Yoruba people to assert their right to self-determination, which right of self-determination is an inalienable and unquestionable right of every indigenous nation in the world, and which right is enshrined in many international instruments that provide for the system of order of the modern world.

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Upon asserting this right of self-determination, we Yoruba nation shall be free to determine our political status, pursue our economic, social and cultural development according to policies chosen independently by us, and to live under the government independently chosen and ordered by us.”

Akintoye is trying to use us for political business—Ilana Omo Oodua Source

Reacting to the letter, a member of the popular umbrella and apex body of Yoruba Self-Determination Group, Ilana Omo Oodua, IOO, who spoke to Vanguard in confidence from her base in United Kingdom, accused Akintoye of selling out the organization and struggle to some Yoruba Elites who are mostly in Diaspora and trying to use IOO as a political business.
The source said: “First, the organization we all know as the umbrella body, or call it an apex body for this struggle regardless of what anyone feels is Ilana Omo Oodua. We have individual members and affiliated groups which Akintoye is the leader. We still held our general meeting last Saturday. Ilana Omo Oodua mobilized and galvanized individuals and organizations to make the Yoruba Nation agitation popular all over the world till now but Baba Akintoye chose to use the name of a US based NGO owned by some Yoruba Elites to write a letter to Nigerian Government and not Ilana Omo Oodua whose name is already a threat to the Owners of Nigeria.
“YSDM is a registered foundation in America owned by five people and nowhere an AGM was conducted by Yoruba Self-Determination organizations to appoint the directors of the organization to warrant it being described as the Umbrella body of Yoruba Self-Determination Organizations. Ilana Omo Oodua worked with other individuals and organizations to get to where we are so why throw us out to be used for business and negotiation with President Buhari because he was made the Chairman of a foundation where he’s not even a Director?
“Second thing is that in the letter, Baba Akintoye, after serving Buhari a notice that the Yoruba people want to exercise their rights to self-determination and justified it, is now demanding for a negotiation meeting? Wow. Who does that? How do you request for a negotiation from someone that is oppressing you and has immense advantage over you in terms of power, arms, sovereignty, money and everything?
“What does Akintoye has outside 5 million online petitions that warrants him demanding a negotiation or worthy of being negotiated with outside his media noise? Buhari should be the one to reach out to us for negotiation, not Akintoye asking for a negotiation. What Akintoye did was against the run of play. When Buratai visited Sunday Igboho in Benin prison for negotiation, he did not write Nigerian Government for a negotiation, they came and Igboho turned them down. That is what is called a fighter and activist.
“The fact is Akintoye merely want to meet Buhari and Tinubu for a political business meeting and he knew that cannot be achieved that under Ilana Omo Oodua hence shifted to the organization of his fellow Elites whom he has sold us to. For instance, his Deputy in YSDM is a former Commissioner and Governorship aspirant in Ondo-State, Banji Ayiloge. For the first time in this struggle, Professor Banji Akintoye described himself as a former Nigerian Senator to Buhari. Baba wants to do business and get his due from the Nigerian Government. This is about 2023 electoral game. I will talk more in future.”
“Lastly, Baba Akintoye said in his letter that no referendum, because five million people have signed an online petition. I am of the opinion that Baba is inviting the Nigerian Government to clampdown on the agitators at home because all the proponents of this no referendum campaign are not based in Nigeria. Baba Akintoye himself, his wife, all his children and that of Banji Ayiloge are not based in Nigeria. So they have nothing to lose. I appeal to my Yoruba people to give themselves brain.”

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BREAKING: Court orders military to release 313 suspected terrorists

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BREAKING: Court orders military to release 313 suspected terrorists

A Federal High Court in Borno State has ordered the release of at least 313 suspected terrorists detained by the military.

The court ordered their release due to a lack of evidence to charge the suspects after the investigation.

Maj. Gen. Buba Edward, the Director of Defence Media Operations, announced this during the operational briefing on Thursday in Abuja.

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He said, “The court ordered the release for want of evidence after the conclusion of investigation and other ancillary matters.

“Accordingly, they would be handed over to the Borno State Government for further action.”

BREAKING: Court orders military to release 313 suspected terrorists

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Lagos court sends 25-year-old man to prison for stealing employer’s N54.1m

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Lagos court sends 25-year-old man to prison for stealing employer’s N54.1m

One David Ojonugwa has been remanded for allegedly stealing his boss’ N54,142,000 in Lagos State.

An Ebute-Metta Magistrates’ Court ordered the remand of the 25-year-old defendant on Wednesday.

Ojonugwa was arraigned by the police on three counts bordering on conspiracy, unlawful interference with property, and stealing.

He pleaded guilty to the charges preferred against him by the police.

Consequently, magistrate Adedayo Tella remanded Ojonugwa at the Correctional Centre and adjourned the case till April 24, 2024 for the review of facts and sentencing.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Inspector Francisca Job, informed the court that the defendant committed the alleged offences sometime in January 2024 at Lorange Water Factory, located at No 3, Olajubu Street, Ilupeju area of Lagos State.

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According to Job, Ojonugwa unlawfully disconnected, removed, tampered, and meddled with one 10KVA generator valued at N250,000, a 12 HP submersible pump machine valued at N200,000, an electric motor for a water line, N1.8m, and bottled water machine, N1m.

Others are one injection machine module at N12m, injection machine module, N14m, one set of four cavity module bottles (150CL) at N9m, one set of four cavity module bottles (75CL), valued at N8m, one set of four cavity module bottles (25CL), valued at N5m, one electric for motor shrink wrapper (75KW) valued at N110,000, two floating switches for the bottled water line valued at N20,000, 200 stainless bolts and nuts for installation valued at N92,000, six stainless rods for the installation of the water line valued at N200,000 and 1,000 pieces of medium-sized catfishes valued at N40,000, items that were stolen by the defendant.

She said that the total value of the items stolen was N54,142,000, properties of one Mrs Teju Adeleke.

According to the prosecutor, the offences committed contravened Sections 411, 340, and 287 (7) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

Lagos court sends 25-year-old man to prison for stealing employer’s N54.1m

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Have mercy on me, armed robbery suspect who killed police officer begs govt

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Have mercy on me, armed robbery suspect who killed police officer begs govt

Fayoade told newsmen on Wednesday while parading the suspect and 59 others in Lagos, that the suspect also stole another policeman’s rifle in Abeokuta and was declared wanted with his gang members by the Ogun Police Command.

He said that the suspect, simply identified as Seun and his gang had been terrorising Ogun and Lagos States respectively, claiming to be an engineer repairing computers and phones before he ventured into armed robbery.

Speaking to newsmen on the sidelines of the parade, the suspect claimed he was doing well in his business until he met a friend called Bado, who introduced him to the robbery operation.

He said their first operation was at Abeokuta, where they went to rob in a two-storey building, adding that he scaled the fence of the building to have access into the compound.

“I was the one who scaled the fence and opened the gate for others to come in. Immediately we entered the building, a policeman guarding the building ran into the toilet.

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“We picked up his rifle and left the place. It was one of us called Michael, who took the rifle to his house.

“Since I joined robbery, I have not killed before now. In our second operation in Lagos, we only collected phones and money.

“We have robbed in Oshodi, Ikorodu and Ifo area of Ogun. We also collected the vehicle from the owner at Abeokuta.

“The motor was driven away by Bado who is our leader. I was introduced to Bado by one Amechi.

“I have once worked with a politician at Mowe, but because he abandoned me and I have nothing to do again, that was why I decided to join robbery. I regret my actions,” he said.

The suspect further claimed that he had only collected ₦210,000 from the proceeds of the three robbery operations he participated in before his arrest.

He appealed to the government to have mercy on him, assuring that if given the opportunity again, he would never return to armed robbery.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police said the suspect would be charged in court after the conclusion of the investigation.

Have mercy on me, armed robbery suspect who killed police officer begs govt

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