The police in Oyo State have arrested 20 suspected Yoruba Nation agitators over Saturday’s alleged invasion of the state House of Assembly complex in Ibadan.
A group of persons allegedly invaded the complex in the government secretariat vicinity in an attempt to take it over.
Oyo State police spokesman SP Adewale Osifeso confirmed the arrest of the suspects in a statement issued in Ibadan.
Mr Osifeso stated that the 20 suspects arrested had in their possession three pump action guns, 29 life cartridges, two expended cartridges, 67 cutlasses, five bulletproof vests and six pairs of boots.
He added that they also had 10 Public Address Systems, three berets with Oodua insignia crafted on them, seven belts, 11 Oodua Nation camouflage uniforms, one unregistered bus and three motorcycles.
Mr Osifeso stressed that the police, in collaboration with sister security agencies, successfully thwarted the agitators’ attempt to forcefully take over the secretariat.
“The suspects, who wore military camouflage, came heavily armed in an unregistered bus and had cutlasses, pump action rifles, cartridges, assorted charms and an Oodua Nation agitation flag with them.
“They were overpowered and completely suppressed by officers and men of the police in concert with those of sister security agencies,’’ he stated.
Mr Osifeso described the act of the suspects as criminal and unpatriotic and a clear case of treasonable felony and terrorism.
He assured that appropriate punishment would be meted out to those found culpable while the police would continue to protect law-abiding citizens.
The spokesman stated that the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Adebola Hamzat, had already ordered an investigation and an enlargement of the dragnet to arrest others connected with the incident.
(NAN)
