Yoruba Nation Agitators Plead Not Guilty to Charges

The 27 individuals accused of invading the Oyo State Government Secretariat in Ibadan earlier this year, in connection with the declaration of a Yoruba Nation, have pleaded not guilty to the charges leveled against them in an Oyo State High Court.

The suspects appeared before Justice K. B. Olawoyin on Wednesday, where the charges related to the April 13, 2024, incident were read aloud. The accused face multiple counts, including conspiracy, unlawful possession of firearms, unlawful assembly, treasonable felony, and treason—crimes allegedly committed in the Ibadan Judicial Division.

The case, filed under suit number I/51c/2024 (State vs Adeyemo Peter & 26 others), was heard at Fiat Court 3 in Ibadan’s Ring Road. The defendants—ranging from Adeyemo Peter to Taiwo Titilayo—were all present for the arraignment, where they each pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The incident in question took place on April 13, when the group allegedly stormed the Agodi Secretariat and proclaimed the establishment of the sovereign Yoruba Nation. Those facing trial include Adeyemo Peter, Adeyemo Joseph, Amos Oluwaseyi Ogundeji, Ayanwale Rofiat, Olalere Mathew, Ismaila Malomo Peter, and others. A tragic development in the case occurred when the 18th defendant, Adejumo Lateef, was confirmed dead during the group’s first appearance in court.

The prosecution, led by Director of Public Prosecutions Mr. S. O. Adeoye and a team of Senior State Counsel, brought forward the charges against the suspects. During the hearing, the state’s legal team sought to amend the record by removing the name of the deceased defendant, correcting a repeated name, and adding another individual not initially listed. The defence teams did not object to these amendments, and the court granted the application.

One of the defence attorneys, Yomi Ogunlola, raised a preliminary objection concerning the court’s jurisdiction over some of the charges, particularly those related to treason. He argued that the offence of treason falls under federal jurisdiction and requires the fiat of the Attorney General of the Federation for prosecution. He stated, “The offences are federal offences, especially the one that deals with treason and not within the jurisdiction of the court, in pursuance of Section 37, Criminal Code Law of Oyo State, 2000, thus giving a notice of preliminary objection to the suit.”

However, the court proceeded with the arraignment, as the objection did not halt the process. All the accused individuals were individually informed of the charges, which were read and translated into Yoruba for clarity. Each defendant pleaded not guilty to all the counts.

Following the arraignment, the prosecution requested an adjournment to address the preliminary objections raised by the defence. The defence counsel did not oppose this request, and Justice Olawoyin scheduled a hearing for November 13, 2024, to consider the matter further.