Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
A Yoruba ethnic pressure group, Yoruba World Congress (YWC) will on Tuesday staged a peaceful rally in all the six states of the South West geo political zone in support of the newly launched Operation Amotekun, a security outfit introduced by the six governors of the region.
The group in a statement issued by its Director of Contacts and Mobilization, Mr Victor Taiwo, urged all the Yoruba people to join the protest march in all the state capitals of the six states.
Taiwo said the protest would go a long way towards passing a signal to the federal government that the entire Yoruba people are in support of the new security outfit and legalise it.
He added that the new security outfit will wage war against the spate of insecurity ravaging the zone when it is put in operation.
The protest code-named “Amotekun Solidarity Walk”,Taiwo said would make all Nigerians know that Yoruba are speaking with one voice over the” Amotekun” security outfit and also give the South West governors the understanding that their people are behind them regardless of political affiliation.
The YWC led by a Professor of History and Second Republic Senator, Banji Akintoye has branches in all the six states of the South West.
Taiwo said: “The protest will hold simultaneously in Lagos, Abeokuta, Ibadan, Osogbo, Akure and Ado-Ekiti respectively from 9am on Tuesday.
“All Yoruba people are urged to come out in their millions any where they are in Oduduwa land on Tuesday to show to the world that Amotekun has come to stay.
“We must show to the external forces and their internal collaborators who want to stampede our resolve to protect ourselves, safeguard our land from kidnappers, armed-robbery and put an end to consistent destruction of our farm lands that enough is enough.
“Well-meaning Yoruba people and leaders of thought would be at designated venues to address the protest. We want to assure our governors that Yoruba people are behind them on Amotekun. We urge them not to shiver and they must never shiver. It is no retreat, no surrender. We will not surrender Amotekun, ” he stressed.
According to him, those in Lagos are to converge on Gani Faweyinmi Freedom Park, Ojota, those in Oyo State will converge on Agodi Cenotaph, Ibadan, while those in Ogun State will meeet at Pansheke Junction, Abeokuta and those in Osun State will take off at the Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo.
Also, the protest in Ondo State will hold at Alagbaka roundabout, Akure while those in Ekiti are to converge on Fajuyi round about, Ado-Ekiti for the protest.