The University College Hospital, Ibadan, has refuted claims of providing hideout for Yoruba Nation agitators and dismissed any involvement in unlawful activities.
In a statement, the hospital’s Public Relations Officer, Mrs Funmi Adetuyibi, emphasized their dedication to healthcare services and adherence to legal practices.
Last weekend, Yoruba Nation separatists stormed the Oyo State Government Secretariat in Agodi, Ibadan, clad in military gear and carrying firearms.
They attempted to raise their flag at the Oyo State House of Assembly, but security forces intervened, arresting 21 of the agitators.
A video circulated on social media showing police apprehending some agitators on the hospital premises, sparking speculations of an arsenal being hidden there.
However, the hospital spokesperson clarified that six of the agitators, while evading the police, trespassed the hospital’s North-West Campus Area.
Acting swiftly, the hospital’s security team apprehended them and handed them over to the authorities.
The hospital reiterated its commitment to medical services, research, and training, distancing itself from any illegal activities. It urged the public to avoid spreading unfounded rumors tarnishing its reputation.
Meanwhile, the family of late MKO Abiola disavowed support for Yoruba Nation agitators expressed by Dupe Onitiri-Abiola, one of Abiola’s widows, in a viral video.
Onitiri-Abiola proclaimed the sovereignty of the “Democratic Republic of Yoruba” in the video, a declaration met with disapproval from the family.
One of Abiola’s children, Jamiu, serving as Special Assistant to the President on Special Duties, clarified that Onitiri-Abiola’s views were personal and didn’t represent the family’s stance.
The Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo State, also refuted claims of having any of its lecturers involved in the arrested Yoruba Nation agitators after a man paraded by the police, Alabi Ogundeji, identified himself as a lecturer at the college.
The college, in a statement by its Registrar, J.A. Araoye, asserted that Ogundeji had no association with the institution, emphasizing that his claims were baseless.