There was a palpable tension at the border town of Idiroko in Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State, as youths, under the aegis of Oodua Republic Agitators, in their scores, stormed the ancient town, demanding for the immediate reopening of the border closed by the Federal Government since 2019.
Idiroko, located between Nigeria and the Republic of Benin, is one of the few borders that were left closed after President Muhammadu Buhari declared others opened in December 2020.
The Idiroko land border has been shut since 2019 when the Federal Government ordered that all importations must be done through the seaports.
The protesters, who carried only a banner with the inscription: The Republic of Oodua, chanted slogans such as Enough is enough, the suffering is too much. We don’t want to stay in Nigeria any longer. We want Oodua Nation, marched down to Centry, the border point between Nigeria and the Republic of Benin and forcefully opened the gates at the international frontier.
In a 20-minute viral video, a gun was snatched from an immigration officer and a man in a yellow T-shirt was seen shooting the gun into the air to the admiration of others at the scene.
Different voices were heard in the video calling on soldiers and other security agents to come out and shoot.
They destroyed the gates at the border, screaming: “We have opened the border at Idiroko and asked people to begin their importing business through the route.”
During the invasion, a young man, who was accused of trying to record the incident with his mobile phone, was attacked and mercilessly beaten.
Speaking with Vanguard in a telephone chat, a community leader in the town, Mr. Olanrewaju Adelaja called on the Federal Government to address the issue of agitators that are coming from different quarters, attributing the agitations to the injustice being perpetrated by a section of the country against others.
He said: “This agitation is getting out of hand. I don’t know what the Federal Government is waiting for before something is done.
“The major reason for all these agitations going on in different parts of the country is injustice. Once there is justice in this country, all these issues will become things of the past.
“We are all Nigerians and we all should be treated equally. “Once we are not treated equally, all these problems must arise. The Federal Government must do the needful now before it becomes too late.”
Border remains shut— NCS
Reacting to the news of the forceful reopening of the border, the spokesperson for the Igun 1 Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Hammed Oloyede, said the Idiroko border remained closed as directed by the Federal Government.
Oloyede said: “Though a group of youths, who called themselves the Yoruba Nation Agitators stormed Idiroko border on Saturday, but the situation was brought under control, while the border remained shut.
“The situation is under control, there is no problem whatsoever. Everywhere is calm. Our officers are at their duty posts with other security operatives.
“The border is still closed and there is no movement whatsoever.”
He also denied attacks on any Customs officers. He said: “There was no attack on our patrol bases or checkpoints. Those guys were just doing their own. They tried to attack one patrol point, but it was repelled. The situation is under control. There is no problem.”
He said: “Though, I have seen where military and paramilitary personnel patrol towns and cities in what they call ‘show of power, but I have never seen where smugglers and hoodlums stage show of power like what happened in Idiroko on Saturday.
“It was very unfortunate that such thing could happen where we have constituted authority.
“I want to commend men of the Nigeria Customs Service and other security operatives on the matured way they handled the situation on Saturday, that it did not degenerate into violence and bloodshed.”