*As arraigned 29 armed agitators are remanded in prison 

The Oyo State government on Wednesday evening demolished the building where the Yoruba Nation agitators under the leadership of Modupe Onitiri-Abiola are operating from in Ibadan, the State capital.

The building, located on Toye Oyesola Street, Ibadan South West Local Government Area (LGA) was demolished on Wednesday evening. 

The Special Adviser to the Oyo State Governor on Security Matters, CP Fatai Owoseni (rtd.), confirmed the demolition.

On Saturday, armed men in Army fatigues with acclaimed Yoruba Nation insignia, swooped on the Oyo State Secretariat where they intended to forcefully take over the State House of Assembly before they were dislodged by combined efforts of security agents.

Twenty-nine suspects arrested regarding the foiled armed invasion were on Wednesday arraigned by the Police before a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan.

In a case with charge number Mi/520c/2024 between the Commissioner of Police and the 29 suspects, they were accused of a seven-count charge bothering on treasonable felony, unlawful society, illegal possession of firearms, and conduct likely to cause breach of peace.

Inspector Bakare Rasaq, the Investigative Police Officer with the State Criminal Investigation Department, Iyaganku, Ibadan, said the offence contravenes, and punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code, Cap 38, Vol. II, Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria, 2000.

Sources said that the Yoruba Nation activist, Ms Modupe Onitiri-Abiola, formally proclaimed the “Sovereign Democratic Republic of Yoruba” from the building, saying that the South West of Nigeria has ceded to be part of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Modupe Onitiri-Abiola, who addressed the Yoruba Nation in Yoruba, in a viral video, sat by two flags of the “acclaimed” new nation with the Coat of Arms/Emblem at the background, proclaimed herself as President of the Yoruba Nation, declaring the South West secession from Nigeria as Yorubaland has ceased to be part of Nigeria.

She also announced the formation of the “Yoruba Army” which has been charged to defend the “homeland.”

Onitiri-Abiola was one of the wives of late Chief MKO Abiola and had contested the 2015 governorship election in Lagos State on the ticket of Accord Party.