The British police arrested Adeyinka Grandson, president of the Young Yorubas for Freedom (YYF) secessionist group, in London over his alleged social media posts against some ethnic groups in Nigeria.
Grandson, a UK-based Nigerian of Yoruba descent, is known for his social media attacks on people of Igbo extraction as well as criticism of the Hausa-Fulani.
On Tuesday, the Scotland Yard Counter Terrorism Command arrested Grandson for allegedly “stirring racial discrimination” against the Igbo and Fulani ethnic groups and also “encouraging terrorism”.
After being grilled for nine hours, Grandson denied any involvement in terrorism or encouraging racial hatred and said YYF only supports the return of Nigeria to the regional system.
Below is a statement of the Young Yoruba for Freedom (YYF) on the arrest of Adeyinka Grandson by the Scotland Yard Counter Terrorism Command:
1. On the 6th August 2019, three addresses in London, frequent by Adeyinka Grandson, the President of the Young Yoruba for Freedom (YYF), were searched by the London Metropolitan Police at 4:15am, 4:45am and 5:00am respectively. The searches were authorized by the Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
2. At precisely 5:35am, Adeyinka Grandson was arrested by the Scotland Yard Counter Terrorism Command for the offences related to Terrorism and Public Order Acts. He was arrested by 35 Police officers with five vehicles and then brought to the Southwark Police Station Special Suite.
3. Adeyinka Grandson’s arrest was based on his YouTube videos, Facebook posts, Tumblr posts and a website linked with the name of the YYF, but does not belong to the YYF.
4. Adeyinka Grandson was interviewed by the Police from the Scotland Yard Counter Terrorism Command for 9 hours. During the interview, he was accused of stirring up racial discrimination against the Ibo and the Fulani and for encouraging terrorism.
5. Adeyinka Grandson denied any involvement in or encouraging terrorism and racial hatred. He, nevertheless, maintained that the YYF supports the restructuring of Nigeria back to the regional system of government or the outright dissolution of the country. And that Young Yoruba all over the world are ready to defend the Yoruba’s civilization and make Yorubaland great again. He was granted a conditional bail at 9:15pm on the 6th August 2019.
6. As part of his bail conditions, he cannot access, use, or post on Facebook, YouTube, Tumblr or the website linked with the Young Yoruba for Freedom, which of course does not belong to the YYF. Adeyinka Grandson is expected to live and sleep at his home address only.
7. Adeyinka Grandson has not been charged for any crime. He is required to report back to the Police station on the 2nd September 2019. The Young Yoruba for Freedom (YYF), has no idea what the Police plan to do with the allegations of terrorism and public order acts.
8. The Police has seized Adeyinka Grandson’s passport, two Google phones, one Apple MacBook laptop computer, one tablet, a Hard Drive and a draft copy of his new book expected to be published later in the year.
9. In the meantime, Adeyinka Grandson, will comply with his bail conditions. He has resigned from his job due to the seriousness of the allegations against him and to enable him prepare his defence if the matter goes to court. He requires our support more than before.
10. The Young Yoruba for Freedom (YYF), requests for public support from the Yoruba Conservatives in England to attend the Court hearing if and when the matter goes to court. We, however, do not request for the support of the Yoruba Liberals. We are not unaware that the Yoruba Liberals along with the Ibo would like to attend the hearing if the matter goes to the court.
Adeyinka Grandson is mentally prepared. He wants the world to know, if the matter goes to court, about the injustice against the Yoruba nation in Nigeria under the sham unitary system in a multicultural country. While defending himself with the help of his lawyers, he will also use the opportunity to call for the dissolution of Nigeria without a return to the regional government before 2023 and defend the activities of the Young Yoruba for Freedom (YYF).
11. Adeyinka Grandson believed, among other matters, that the evidence obtained by the Police from his house detailing his connection and correspondence with the CIA, the letters he wrote to President Trump and the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, might have contributed to being granted a bail. He wishes to thank President Trump and his administration for standing for justice and fairness.
12. Adeyinka Grandson also wishes to thank the supporters of the Young Yoruba for Freedom (YYF), operating in the presidency of Nigeria for the valid information they provided about the impending assassination attempt on his life before his eventual arrest and release by the Scotland Yard Counter Terrorism Command.
13. The Young Yoruba for Freedom (YYF), says a big thank you to all the Yoruba who have been very concerned about Adeyinka Grandson’s welfare.
Tinuola Asake
Director of Communications
Young Yoruba for Freedom (YYF)