Yoruba Nation agitators planning violence to truncate 2023 polls – YAF    

A coalition, under the aegis of the Yoruba Appraisal Forum (YAF), has raised the alarm over alleged plans by those championing and agitating for secession of Yoruba land from Nigeria to cause violence and chaos in the Southwest and parts of the country with the ultimate objective of truncating the 2023 general elections.

YAF alleged that some persons in the Southwest and their allies in other parts of the country and outside, had been engaging in “clandestine activities” aimed at causing violence and sparking off killings, arson and mayhem that would undermine the electoral process and ultimately truncate next year’s elections.

The Forum disclosed that the violence, which had been planned in two phases to coincide with the campaigns by political parties in the six Southwest states, also had the objective of “re-enacting the arson and killings that characterised the unfortunate ‘Operation Wetie’ violence that took place in the region in the First Republic.” Part of the plan is the violence spreads to the North by their Northern collaborators to spark off reprisal violence and killings.

It further said it learnt that the masterminds of the violence had begun the distribution of arms to their foot soldiers, posing as Yoruba Nation agitators, cultists and other hoodlums in the Southwest.

The Forum specifically fingered self-exiled Prof. Banji Akintoye and his group, Yoruba Self-Determined Movement (YSDM) of being behind the alleged plan to use the agitation for Yoruba Nation to instigate violence and chaos in the region.

YAF National Coordinator, Adesina Animashaun, made these allegations while addressing journalists in Lagos.

Citing Akintoye’s recently reported utterances that his group of agitators would achieve the secession of Yorubaland from Nigeria in a few months time.