The suspects, said to be operating under the banner of the “Democratic Republic of the Yoruba,” reportedly mounted illegal barricades at Temidire Junction and the under-bridge area of Sango-Ota, blocking major roads, setting bonfires and obstructing vehicular movement.
No fewer than eight suspected separatist agitators have been arrested in the Sango-Ota axis of Ogun State for allegedly attacking police personnel and disrupting public peace on Christmas Day.
The suspects, said to be operating under the banner of the “Democratic Republic of the Yoruba,” reportedly mounted illegal barricades at Temidire Junction and the under-bridge area of Sango-Ota, blocking major roads, setting bonfires and obstructing vehicular movement.
In a statement issued on Friday in Abeokuta, the state command’s spokesperson, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, confirmed that the suspects were also accused of engaging in unlawful assembly, obstruction of traffic, and assaulting officers deployed to restore order.
“On Christmas Day, at Temidire Junction and Under-Bridge, Sango-Ota, a group agitating under the aegis of ‘Democratic Republic of the Yoruba’ unlawfully barricaded roads, set bonfires, disrupted free flow of traffic, and attacked police officers deployed to maintain law and order,” the statement read.
According to Babaseyi, operatives were mobilised to the scene following distress reports and successfully dispersed the gathering before arresting all eight suspects.
Items recovered include a Toyota Dyna vehicle allegedly used to transport the agitators, two broadcast equipment, a carton of flags and shirts branded with separatist inscriptions, as well as banners containing their messages and manifesto.
The police said the suspects would be charged in court after the conclusion of investigations.
Meanwhile, the state police commissioner, Lanre Ogunlowo, warned that the command would not tolerate activities capable of endangering public safety or obstructing officers on duty.
Ogunlowo reassured Ogun residents of ongoing efforts to maintain law and order, urging citizens to report suspicious movements using the Command’s emergency toll-free numbers: 0800 000 9111, 0906 283 7609, 0912 014 1706, 0915 102 7369, and 0708 497 2994.
He added that any assault on police operatives will be met with “decisive action.”