There was pandemonioum and chaos as agitators for the Yoruba Nation, on Saturday, forcefully reopened the Idi-Iroko land border in Ogun State, which had been closed by the Federal Government since 2019.
A video posted by self-acclaimed Yoruba freedom fighter, Sunday Igboho, on his personal blog, ‘Sunday Adeyemo Igboho TV,’ showed the agitators in their hundreds storming the Idi-Iroko area in Ipokia Local Government Area of the state and forcefully opened its land borders between Nigeria and Benin Republic, urging the people to begin doing their businesses.
Though the agitators were engaged by operatives of the Nigerian Customs Service (NSC), and men of the Immigration Service, who tried to repel them, the video also showed where a gun was snatched from an Immigration officer.
In the video clip, one of the agitators is seen shooting sporadically into the air while the crowd cheered him in admiration.
Different voices were also heard in the background calling on soldiers and other security agents to come out and engage them in a shootout, while others were seen destroying the gates at the border, while screaming:
“We have opened the border at Idi-Iroko. Come out and do your business!”
The Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service, Ogun 1 Area Command, Hammed Oloyede, who confirmed the incident, however said his men successfully repelled the Yoruba Nation agitators while denying any attack on the officers.
“There was no attack on our patrol bases or checkpoints. Those guys were just doing their own. They tried to attack one patrol point, but it was repelled. The situation is under control. There is no problem,” Oloyede said.
While commending the ‘freedom fighters’ at the end of the video, Igboho said more of such actions are in the pipeline as his group is determined to break away from Nigeria.
Igboho also accused the Federal Government of shutting down the land borders in the South-West while those in the North were open.