Anti-secession groups under the aegis of Yoruba Appraisal Forum on Thursday took over Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti state capital to protest against agitators calling for secession.
The protesters converged on the Fajuyi Park at around 9am and marched through the fly-over bridge in Okesa to some major streets in Ado-metropolis.
The protesters, comprising Okada riders, different youth groups and driver unions carried banners and posters with various inscriptions such as ‘We believe in One Nigeria’; ‘One Nigeria is paramount’; ‘Stand together and love one another’.
Others were: “There is no way we can survive as a nation and in the world without unity’ and ‘individually we are one drop, together we are an ocean’, among others.
While addressing the gathering at Fajuyi Park, the group’s National Coordinator, Adeshina Animashaun, rejected the calls by Yoruba activist Sunday Adeyemo aka Igboho, the Yorubaland should secede from Nigeria, describing such as treasonable and unpatriotic.
He also tackled Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, for allegedly spearheading arson attacks and killings under the guise of secession in the Southeast.
He advised Yoruba should resist the IPOB from brainwashing and infiltrating their ranks, saying evidence abound that succession agitators are planning to cause mayhem.
He said: “Nigeria should not go the way of Somalia. Somalia is no longer the same today, because of war. I don’t want to even witness war throughout my lifetime, because we knew what we lost in Yoruba race during the 2020 #ENDSARS protest.
“On our part as YAF members, we want to warn sternly that we won’t allow any group or individual to turn the Southwest into a theatre of war.
“Our Yoruba brothers involved in this evil enterprise or plot to destabilise the Yoruba race should retrace their steps to avoid dire consequences.
“We recorded huge losses in the southwest during the #EndSARS protest in terms of burnt property worth trillions of naira, not to talk of valuable human lives destroyed due to the violence that followed the EndSARS.
“The Federal Government, police and men of the Nigerian army and other security agencies should take urgent steps to stop the Yoruba independence agitators and freedom fighters before they set the entire country ablaze”.
He called on the Department of State Services (DSS), military and the police to activate their machinery against these elements in the southwest before the situation escalates.
Adeola said the ex-Deputy Governor would proceed with his ambition despite Kolawole’s adoption by his former boss, vowing “Eleka won’t drop out of the race and would be ready to face Kolawole at the PDP governorship primary next year.”
He called on the Secondus-led NWC and leadership of Southwest PDP to rein in Fayose, warning his actions could undermine the party victory in the governorship poll.