The Police have arrested 20 suspected Nigeria’s South West secession agitators.
They were arrested on Saturday on alleged invasion of the Oyo state’s House of Assembly complex in Ibadan.
A group of armed persons invaded the complex located at the Government Secretariat vicinity in an attempt to take it over.
Police spokesman in Oyo State, Mr Adewale Osifeso confirmed the arrest of the suspects in a statement he issued in Ibadan.
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,
They also had in their possession, 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, he added.
Osifeso stressed that the police, in collaboration with sister security agencies successfully thwarted the attempt by the agitators 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.
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 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, Mr Adebola Hamzat already ordered an investigation and an enlargement of the dragnet to arrest others connected with the incident.
Nigeria is also currently battling the menace of similar agitators in South East.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) formed in 2014 is seeking the secession of five states in the south east from Nigeria.
This is similar to the declaration of Biafra country in the same region that led to a three year civil war – 1967-1970.
The current agitation is violent with the formation of Eastern Security Network, a militia arm of IPOB.
The founder of IPOB, Mr Nnamdi Kanu, is currently being held and undergoing trial for treason and felony.
