The Department of State Services (DSS) paraded 12 of Sunday Igboho’s followers on Thursday, while one other was being profiled.
The DSS confirmed that it was responsible for the raid carried out at the Yoruba rights activist’s home in Oyo State.
The DSS said a joint team of security operatives raided the residence early on Thursday based on an intelligence report.
Peter Afunanya, the Spokesperson of the secret police, who paraded the suspects at the national headquarters said, “A team of joint security operatives raided the residence of Sunday Adeyemo at Soka in Ibadan. This was based on intelligence that he had stockpiled arms in the place.
“On approach to his residence, the team came under heavy gun attack by nine men suspected to be Igboho’s guards. Six were armed with AK-47 guns and three others with pump action rifles.
“In the course of the exchange, two of the armed men were gunned down, while the rest were subdued and arrested. Only one operative, who was shot by the assailants in his right hand, sustained injury. He has, however, received medical attention and is very stable.
“The gun duel, which lasted an hour, offered Igboho the chance to escape. Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho, is now on the run.”
Those arrested include; Abdulateef Ofeyagbe; Amoda Babatunde, aka Lady ‘K’, Tajudeen Erinoyen, Diakola Ademola, Abideen Shittu, Jamiu Noah, Ayobami Donald, Adelabe Usman, Oluwapelumi Kunle, Raji Kazeem, Taiwo Opeyemi and Bamidele Sunday.
Afunaya added that seven AK-47 assault rifles, three pump action guns, 30 fully charged AK-47 magazines, 5,000 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, five cutlasses, one Jack knife, one pen knife, two pistol holsters, a pair of binoculars, a wallet containing $5, local and international driving licences in his name, ATM cards, a German residence permit No. YO2N6K1NY bearing his name; two whistles, 50 cartridges and 18 walkie-talkies were recovered when Igboho’s house was searched.
Some of his aides had said the invasion, which they alleged claimed the lives of five occupants of the house, was carried out by soldiers and operatives of the Department of State Services.
One of Igboho’s aides, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “Chief surprised every one of us, because the attackers were everywhere, but he escaped. The assailants came around 1.30am, scaled the fence and opened fire.
“I think the instruction they were given was to kill every living thing sighted on the premises. A lady was the one directing them. She was calling occupants of the house by their names. That is to show that an insider gave them the information they relied on.
“They took away about N3m from his (Igboho’s) room as well as his jewellery.”
Another occupant of the house, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “The assailants killed five persons and took away their corpses. Some ladies, who are wives of chief’s aides, were also taken away”.
Afunaya explained that Igboho and his group, in the guise of campaigning for self-determination, had become well-armed and determined to wage a violent insurrection against the Nigerian state.
