EKO HOT BLOG reports that in an alarming incident on Sunday morning, a group of Yoruba Nation agitators took control of Radio Nigeria’s Amuludun FM 99.1 station in Ibadan, the capital city of Oyo State.
Armed with dangerous weapons and charms, the agitators arrived in an 18-seater bus and seized the broadcast for over an hour, threatening staff members who did not comply with their demands.
According to a source, four of the agitators, including a woman, were apprehended by the police with assistance from the Nigerian army, while others managed to flee in different directions to evade arrest. One of the arrested agitators had sustained gunshot wounds and rushed into the studio to alert others about the increased presence of security forces in the vicinity. Evidence of bloodstains was observed in the studio.
Investigations revealed that the agitators initially held night duty staff and security guards hostage before taking control of the studio. They broadcasted live on radio, declaring “Welcome to Yoruba Nation.” Staff members were coerced into removing all Nigerian flags and replacing them with Yoruba Nation flags, as the agitators claimed to have already taken over the Government Secretariat in Agodi, Ibadan. Additionally, the group had initially used commercial vehicles to block the main road.
Upon visiting the station located at J&P Bus-stop, Moniya, in Akinyele Local Government Area, a correspondent of PUNCH News, observed over 20 operational vehicles belonging to various security agencies, including the Department of State Services, stationed strategically to prevent any untoward incidents.
Confirming the invasion, Ajayi Omotola, the most senior staff member on duty, in a quote attributed to him, said:
“They told us that they are Yoruba Nation agitators. And in their T-shirt, there was that inscription there. They wrote Yoruba Nation. Only six persons came inside the studio with different charms threatening to kill us if we failed to cooperate. Others were outside manning security at different areas within the premises.”
Omotola further added,
“They collected all our phones and threatened to kill us if we made any noise or phone calls. They said they wanted to broadcast live that Yoruba Nation has taken over. We should remove all Nigeria flags in our studio and replace it with their own. They didn’t allow anybody to go outside. The Area Commander came, addressed, and even pleaded with them, but they ignored him. We later heard sporadic shooting outside. So, one of our staff members then came inside to inform us that police and soldiers had arrived.”
As of press time, normalcy had been restored at the radio station, with vigilant security operatives remaining on site. Radio Nigeria’s Amuludun FM, established on October 10, 2007, with broadcasts exclusively in the Yoruba language, continues its operations amid heightened security measures.
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