Yoruba Forum laments Lagos police stoppage of peace, sensitisation rally

From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
A coalition under the aegis of the Yoruba Appraisal Forum (YAF), on Friday, lamented the decision of Lagos State Police command to stop its proposed peace rally/sensitisation motorcade in the state.
YAF, in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Adeshina Animashaun, expressed regret that the police in the state could not distinguish between the forum and other groups claiming to be championing Yoruba self-determination and independence with the disguised objective of destabilising the country.
It further noted that its objectives and consistent campaigns for peace throughout Yorubaland, the South-West and all over Nigeria had been misunderstood and misconstrued by the police, which had also misrepresented YAF to the public as one of those groups claiming to be agitating for the creation of a Yoruba nation and the disintegration of the Nigerian state.
YAF statement made available to newsmen in Abuja read: “Ordinarily, we wouldn’t have bothered to offer any response to the Lagos State Police Command’s stoppage of our planned peace rally/sensitisation motorcade earlier scheduled to hold today, Friday, July 16, 2021, at the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park, Ojota, Lagos, but for the manifest misinformation and misrepresentation contained in a statement on the matter by the state Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Muyiwa Adejobi.
“Firstly, we have to quickly state that YAF has nothing to do with the Yoruba Nation agitators. We are a law-abiding coalition of other Yoruba groups under the aegis of YAF, whose main objective remains peace advocacy throughout Yorubaland and all over Nigeria.
“We want to make it abundantly clear that YAF is not affiliated to any group or individuals promoting or championing the disintegration or dismemberment of the Nigerian Federation.
“We are not agitators but peace makers, campaigning to dissuade our youths from threading the destructive path to violence being championed by individuals and groups masquerading as fighters for Yoruba freedom, independence and self-determination.
“We believe in the unity and indivisibility of the Nigerian nation. It is unfortunate that the police misunderstood and misconstrued our peace rally/Sensitisation Motorcade.
“We want to state here YAF had held this same peace rally/sensitisation motorcade in all the other states in the South-West in the past few months without any record of any untoward occurrence.
“If we were like the other so-called Yoruba groups agitating for the disintegration and dissolution of Nigeria, we wouldn’t have sought permission of the Nigeria Police and the DSS to carry out the peace rally/sensitisation motorcade, and even invite these security agencies to send some of their operatives to the venue to provide adequate security against hoodlums.
“The PPRO has, therefore, woefully failed to separate the wheat from the chaff by his wholesale tagging of YAF as a Yoruba Nation agitator group in his Thursday’s statement. This is unfortunate and unacceptable.
“YAF is, however, not deterred by the current situation. Infact, this police action against us has served to further encourage us not to relent in our consistent struggle for Peace throughout Yorubaland and all over our dear country, Nigeria.
“YAF believes there is no better time than now for all hands to be on deck for peace in Yorubaland, the South-West and the entire Nigerian nation,” the statement read.