One of the leading Yoruba self-determination groups, Ilana Omo Oodua, has alleged that the government was behind the attack on the residence of Emeritus Professor Banji Akintoye’s son.
The group also claimed that the gunmen attacked the don’s daughter-in-law at her residence in Agbor, Delta State, last Saturday.
The group made the allegations in a statement on Saturday by its Media and Communications Secretary, Maxwell Adeleye.
Akintoye, who is at the forefront of the Yoruba self-determination struggle, is the leader of Ilana Omo Oodua, which is the umbrella body for all Yoruba self-determination groups.
Ilana Omo Oodua also accused government agents of being responsible for the burning down of the don’s son’s house and claimed that government agents had started attacking Akintoye’s relations.
The group said the attacks were a calculated attempt to intimidate Akintoye so that he could stop the struggle for Yoruba self-determination.
The statement read, “We are alerting all Yoruba people within and beyond the horizon of Nigeria that the agents of the Nigerian government have started a satanic move to oppress our leader, Emeritus Professor Banji Akintoye, out of the struggle of the Yoruba people for self-determination.
“It started some weeks ago, but we ignored the threat in order not to cause tension and panic in a territory already enveloped by tension. But we are forced to speak out now because these satanic agents have intensified their efforts.
“To say it succinctly because we won’t be going into details and we won’t be mentioning names for security reasons, the wife of the son of our leader was attacked in her residence at Agbor, Delta State a week ago.
“She escaped being assassinated because of the vigilance of her neighbours who raised the alarm. Three guns were pointed at her, as the men of the underworld queried her for information on the Yoruba’s struggle for liberation. She was traumatised, harassed and intimidated, but the courageous woman refused to buckle.”
Ilana Omo Oodua further alleged that the “government agents returned to the property three days later and exterminated everything found there.”
