‘Reasons police gave are ideal’ — Yoruba forum postpones Lagos rally

The Yoruba Appraisal Forum (YAF) has postponed its rally, which was scheduled to hold in Lagos on Friday.

The police had, on Thursday, warned the group against holding any rally, stating that any such demonstration would pose security and health-related threats to residents of the state.

Speaking at a media briefing on Friday,  Adesina Animashaun, YAF national coordinator, said the group agreed to postpone the demonstration after a meeting with the Lagos commissioner of police.

He said the rally, which was to sensitise Nigerians against secession, would be held at a later date.

“I met with the CP on Thursday afternoon and the reasons he gave for us to postpone are really ideal,” NAN quoted Animashaun to have said.

“The CP also asked me to sign an undertaking to call off the rally to forestall gridlock, the new wave of COVID-19, among others, which I did.

“As a law-abiding citizen, I realised that the reasons given by the CP are ideal. However, our sensitisation about the need for one Nigeria is not something we’ll push under the carpet. The rally will eventually hold at a later date that we will decide.

“We arranged a crowd of okada riders and people that will carry placards with various inscriptions advising Yoruba to maintain peace and eschew violence.

“We have handbills and leaflets that we intended to distribute from Ojota park to urge people of the south-west not to be deceived by those claiming to be fighting a Yoruba cause.”