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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Crime & Justice

Sunday Igboho, residents foil police arrest of Tani Olohun in Oyo

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Yoruba Nation agitator Sunday Igboho intervened to prevent the arrest of Abdulazeez Adegbola, known as Tani Olohun, an advocate of the indigenous Yoruba faith.
  • Police officers in Ibadan, Oyo State, attempted to arrest Tani Olohun amid an ongoing criminal case related to a social media video.
  • Residents and Igboho's supporters resisted the arrest, leading to a confrontation and phone calls with authorities.

Yoruba Nation agitator Sunday Adeyemo, widely known as Sunday Igboho, intervened on Tuesday to thwart the arrest of Abdulazeez Adegbola, also known as Tani Olohun, an advocate for Isese, the traditional Yoruba faith. The incident occurred in Ibadan, Oyo State, when police officers attempted to detain Tani Olohun at his residence.

They called themselves police officers. They are not police. They are kidnappers. They are about to kill Tani Olohun. They are bandit.

— ResidentA resident's reaction during the attempted arrest, expressing distrust of the officers and fear for Tani Olohun's safety.

Videos circulating online depicted a scuffle as officers tried to apprehend Tani Olohun, who resisted the arrest. In one clip, a resident filming the scene expressed alarm, accusing the officers of being "kidnappers" and suggesting they intended to harm Tani Olohun. Despite an officer showing his identity card, residents dismissed it as fraudulent. Another video showed individuals, seemingly in civilian attire and armed, attempting to seize Tani Olohun, with residents broadcasting the event live on Facebook and pleading for help.

It is a lie. You are not police.

— ResidentA resident's dismissal of an officer's presented identification during the confrontation.

Family members of Tani Olohun subsequently contacted Sunday Igboho. He arrived at the scene with supporters and engaged with what appeared to be a senior official via phone. Igboho informed the official that the neighborhood was resisting the arrest, framing it as a struggle for religious freedom. He noted the presence of four officers at the location before handing the phone to one of them at the official's request.

These people are kidnappers, but they called themselves police. Their vehicle did not have a plate number. Please help us, they want to carry Tani Olohun away. They want to arrest him. They want to kill him.

— ResidentA resident's plea for help during a live broadcast as officers attempted to detain Tani Olohun.

The arrest attempt reportedly stems from a criminal case filed against Tani Olohun by the Ilorin Heritage Preservation Foundation. The foundation alleges that Tani Olohun posted a social media video that mocked Islamic prayers, potentially inciting religious tension. The foundation claims the video, shared on platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok, attracted hostile comments against Muslims and constituted incitement to religious disturbance, contempt of religious creed, and injurious falsehood. The case is currently before a court in Ilorin. The circumstances surrounding the arrest attempt, including the specific allegations and the officers' authority, remain unclear.

They want to cause trouble for you. The whole neighbourhood is blocked. They are fighting for religion, and the neighbours are not ready to release him.

— Sunday IgbohoSunday Igboho relaying the situation to an official on the phone, emphasizing community resistance and the religious nature of the dispute.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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