Why I Allowed Police To Arrest Me At Yoruba Action Rally When I Could Have Disappeared — Ogboni Fraternity Leader

Tajudeen Bakare, the leader of Ogboni fraternity, who was arrested in July at the Yoruba Nation rally in Ojota, Lagos, has said he chose not to disappear when men of the Lagos Police Command seized him.

According to him, he considered it inappropriate to disappear because he was arrested alongside some other persons.

Bakare, who spoke in Yoruba, said there were six other people in the vehicle with him when they were arrested and he was concerned about their fate should he escape and leave them behind.

He said he allowed himself to be arrested with the others "to protect them because they are not members of Ogboni fraternity".

Bakare revealed this during his recent interview with BBC News Yoruba.

He also disclosed that he was shocked at the murder allegations levelled against him by the state's authorities, saying he had no gun with him when he was arrested.

"We were not arrested at the Yoruba Nation rally ground. And I did not kill anybody. Or how is it possible for someone who does not have a gun on him to shoot another person to death?” he said.

Bakare submitted that still, he was not perturbed.

He said should there be another Yoruba Nation rally, he would be actively involved.

Policemen had besieged the venue of the Yoruba Nation rally in Ojota on July 3, 2021 and in an attempt to disperse protesters, allegedly shot one Jumoke Oyeleke.