The Saturday, July 3, Yoruba Nation rally held at Ojota, Lagos turned bloody as a 14-year-old drink seller, simply identified as Jumoke, was hit by a stray bullet allegedly fired by a security operative while trying to repel the agitators.
The young girl, who was hit on the stomach, was said to have died on the spot. It was learnt that her body had been taken to the morgue.
The protesters, some of who were dressed in white wrappers and other native attires, chanted solidarity songs like ‘Ejekasowopo ka fimo sokan,’ ‘Oodua nation is what we want,’ and many more.
One of the agitators, who introduced himself as Gbotoluwa Akinade, had earlier appealed to the heavily armed security operatives at the Ojota venue of the rally that they were on a peaceful rally and meant no arm.
Akinade, who was also in white dress with cap to match, said to the security men, “Let us cooperate to make the rally a success. We don’t have any ulterior motive. Our mission is to call for the emergence of Yoruba nation. We are peaceful people. We are partners in progress and we would cooperate.”
The police officer, who replied him, said, “All those who want to do the rally should move to the street, they should move away from the highway in order to prevent traffic build up.”
Earlier on Saturday, a detachment of security operatives, comprising the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Security, and the OP MESA (military), had cordoned off the Gani Fawehinmi Park, Lagos venue of the rally by the Oodua Republic agitators.
At about 7am on Saturday, no fewer than 30 patrol vehicles belonging to the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Security, Taskforce and the OP MESA (military) were at the park.
The service lane of the Ojota-Ikorodu Road was blocked by some of the vehicles, forcing commercial vehicles coming from Ketu to Maryland to take the expressway.
An Assistant Commissioner of Police, who led the team (name not given), said, “Pressmen, nothing is happening here. It is only police operation here. You can go out of here. We are with the media.”
