The government of President Muhammadu Buhari may proscribe all activities of Yoruba Nation group, Umar Gwandu, spokesman to Abubakar Malami, the Attorney General of the Federation, has revealed. 

Gwandu told Sunday Punch that proscription of the group was one of the options the Federal Government might explore to ensure peace in the country.

“The Federal Government is interested in having a peaceful Nigeria, so, all options cannot be ruled out. All options in order to have a peaceful and serene atmosphere in the country can be explored by the Federal Government,” he said.

Asked specifically if the Federal Government intends to proscribe Yoruna Nation, he answered: “Whatever thing that is doable and possible within the context of the law in accordance with extant provisions of the law will be pursued. All options are available at the Federal Government’s end.”

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In September 2017, President Muhammadu Buhari had banned the activities of a similar group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The government also charged Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the group, for treason before he fled the country and refused to return until his recent extradition to the country from Kenya.

Sunday Igboho, leader of the Yoruba Nation group, was also declared wanted by the Department of State Security (DSS) on July 1, after multiple failed attempts to arrest him on his way to Lagos and at his residence in Ibadan, Oyo State. 

Igboho was eventually arrested in the Republic of Benin on his way to Germany. While his trials continue in the country, it is yet unclear whether he would be extradited. 

Asked to comment on this, Gwandu said: “There are certain things that may not require publicity but the important thing is having a peaceful Nigeria and not discussing it all or making public some of the processes so far.”

In reaction to the option of proscribing Yoruba Nation, Ayo Adebanjo, the leader of Afenifere, a Pan-Yoruba socio-political group, said it would be illegal to do so as the Yoruba Nation group has not committed any crime.

“We are not members of the group but the government has no right to proscribe any organisation as much as the organisation is not involved in any criminal activity,” he said.

“What criminal activities are they involved in? They have a right to exist. Why has (British Prime Minister), Boris Johnson, not proscribed the Scottish Nationalist Party campaigning for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom?

“You may not agree with Igboho or Akintoye but they have a right to exist. It is an act of dictatorship for the AGF office to say it may proscribe an organisation in a democracy. Under what right? They have no right to do it.”

Olasupo Ojo, the coordinator of Igboho’s legal affairs, also stressed that self-determination, which is the crux of the Yoruba Nation agitation, is a right which the government cannot proscribe.

“I dare them to do it. Boko Haram is out there killing people and they didn’t proscribe them; they kept quiet. Let them do their worst. They can’t scare anybody,” Ojo said.

“How many groups do they know? Do they know how many groups are agitating for Yoruba Nation all over the globe? It is too late, they can’t proscribe a right. Until they remove the right from the law, they can’t do that.”