Mohbad Will Get Justice When His Family Members Are Ready

…Turkey Based Activist, Tenny Omoologo

Turkey-based Nigerian activist and blogger, Beatrice Opeyemi a.k.a. Tenny Omo Ologo, had a brief chat with select journalists about her experience as an independent justice advocate, former member of the Yoruba Nation movement, justice for Mohbad proponent, and more. Excerpts…

Tell us briefly about yourself.

I am Beatrice Opeyemi popularly known as Tenny Omoologo.

Did you leave Nigeria for Turkey in search of greener pastures?

Yes, I left Nigeria for Turkey for greener pastures. I am into private businesses.

You became a known face on the internet during the ‘Yoruba Nation’ struggle; tell us about your experiences at that time as a female.

You’re not far from the truth. But I have been on the internet before the Yoruba Nation struggle. However, it is the Yoruba Nation saga that made me more popular. My experience taking part in the Yoruba Nation struggle was quite challenging. It was life-threatening. But I thank God I’m still alive.

How did you become a member of the Yoruba Nation movement?

I joined the Yoruba Nation movement in 2020. I was approached by a group to join the struggle because they knew that I had been speaking about the Nigerian leadership situation on my own. They said they wanted me to join them and add my voice as a Yoruba to advocate for an independent Yoruba nation. I agreed with them because it was my passion to talk about Yoruba liberation and better life for all Nigerians. The challenge started when the EndSars protest came amid the campaign for Yoruba Nation. That protest was timely because it was actually about ending bad governance. So, it was a sort of liberation call. On my Facebook live programme, I was showing and analyzing the EndSars activities live. This didn’t go down well with some people who are pro-government. So, they would come on my show to attack, abuse and curse me.

Did you ever suffer a physical attack?

It happened on December 26, 2020. I left home to get a laptop for my programme because the phone I was using was already full. And I had a lot of information that I needed more gadgets to be able to accommodate them. Before then, I had been hearing that some people were paid $100 each to track and physically assault me. I didn’t believe it until that incident happened. So, while on my way to get the laptop after exchanging the forex I wanted to use, I spotted three men and overheard one of them saying ‘that is Tenny Omoologo passing along’ I was shocked. So I increased the pace of my movement. It was already getting dark. But as I tried to change the direction of my route, I saw the men getting into a vehicle. The vehicle went to make a u-turn, came back suddenly and hit me. I fell on the road and hit my head on the ground. I was conscious for close to one hour. When I became conscious, I found a lot of people around me who later helped me to the hospital where the bruises on my face, head and mouth were stitched.

Did that stop you from the campaign?

Not at all. I was not deterred. I continued talking about Yoruba liberation. It was after that that Chief Sunday Igboho visited Igangan to chase the Fulani herdsmen out. It was after that that Chief Igboho’s house was attacked by the DSS. In April 2021 before the attack, I had a vision and warned Chief Igboho to be very careful. Also on June 20, 2021, I had information that Igboho’s life had been paid for. I made a lot of noise about it but people were against me thinking I was raising a false alarm, including fellow freedom fighters. I said then that Chief Igboho must not ignore the warning because if he escaped the attack, he may end up in captivity and spend more than one year. It came to pass. When Igboho’s members were arrested and taken to Abuja, it was through my personal efforts that they were later released. I did a fundraiser and got a lot of money that was used for their court case until they were freed. After Igboho was arrested, most of the Yoruba Nation members ran away. Only me and a few others stayed. I was the one begging those that left to come back, telling them it was wrong to abandon the struggle at a time like that. But for all I did I was still betrayed and treated like an outcast. After that I got information that I was the next target of the government attack. I ignored the warning and continued with the campaign. But I stopped going out. I was just doing my thing within my premises. Again, in March 2022, I left home and saw those guys again. They ordered me into a vehicle. I refused and they bundled me into the vehicle and burned my laps with hot iron. Those are a few of the challenges. There were many.

Were you part of the group that declared Yoruba Nation independence in Ibadan?

When in 2022, they told me that they were going to declare Yoruba Nation with Dupe Onitiri and others, I saw it as a joke. On December 20, 2022, I was invited to a meeting. Some of them were already campaigning for Tinubu to be president. They called themselves ‘Asiwaju Bloggers’. I didn’t join the meeting in time. When I decided to join, I changed my profile picture and name and joined the zoom meeting. They never knew it was me. That was how I discovered that the zoom meeting was meant to drum up support for Tinubu. People at that meeting were topmost Yoruba Nation campaigners. At the meeting they decided to use their platforms to campaign for Tinubu and agreed that if Tinubu did not win the presidential election, they would return to the Yoruba Nation struggle. I was shocked and shed tears because of the calibre of people I saw at that meeting.

Did you find out if those people were campaigning for Tinubu without the knowledge of the Yoruba Nation movement leaders?

I did. I sent a message to the person that introduced me to the group asking if Sunday Igboho and Pa Bani Akintoye were aware of the group’s campaign for Tinubu and the person said yes they knew about it. I was amazed. So I withdrew. When there were issues between them later, some people wanted me to fight on the side of Igboho and I said I couldn’t. Instead of siding with any of them, I used some episodes of my show to expose how they have turned the Yoruba Nation movement to a political platform. I told the public to stop donating money to the struggle. That was how they launched a series of attacks against me. It got to the extent that I was almost deported back to Nigeria in April 2023. Those experiences gave me the opportunity to discover that the Yoruba Nation struggle was a scam, mere plot to enrich some people. It wasn’t a genuine liberation movement. They are using it for politics and to defraud people abroad. Most of the members who were poor became very rich overnight.

You appear to some people as a traditionalist. What exactly is your religion and what religion were you born into?

My mother is from a Muslim home. My father is a Christian and I am married to a Christian. But as a Yoruba I value Yoruba traditions. Christianity is Jew’s religion and Islam is Arab’s religion. I would say that I belong to the three popular religions. Islam, Christianity and traditional worship. It’s left for people to assess me.

You became more popular as one of the voices fighting for justice for Mohbad; why did you decide to join the Mohbad warriors group?

I am a human rights activist. I became a fighter for justice for Mohbad by chance. I traveled to Cairo. I was in a market there when I received a call from someone who asked if I had heard about a young Nigerian musician who just died. I have never heard of Mohbad. So I searched the news on Google and saw RIP all over and his music videos have spread everywhere on the internet. I became more interested when on the second day the young guy was taken for burial and when his casket was opened, we saw that his body was stuffed in the casket and his neck was broken. People were already talking about the family and the wife’s negligence or culpability. Besides, Mohbad’s label owner, Naira Marley, were also mentioned and also Sam Larry. Unfortunately, Sam Larry made a post after Mohabd was buried suggesting that he had been buried and there was no more issue or something like that. That was how I took it upon myself to use my platform to fight for justice for the young man.

Are you disappointed that one year and four months after Mohbad’s death, justice is still not in sight, and what is your hope?

I am very disappointed. First of all, I would put the blame on the Lagos State government. When Mohbad was exhumed, the Lagos State government promised to investigate his death and ensure that justice was done. We wouldn’t be at this stage of stress and disappointment if the government had done the right thing on the boy’s death. As a Nigerian citizen I am deeply saddened and embarrassed that the Nigerian government does not act on matters that affect its citizens. Secondly, as a mother, I am disappointed in the parents of Mohbad and his entire family. We have not been able to get justice for Mohbad’s death because his father, mother, wife and other members of his family were selfish and greedy.

Please, share some of the challenges you faced fighting for justice for Mohbad.

The challenges are numerous. There is a diversity of opinions and it’s tough responding, coordinating and pleasing people. The other challenge is fishing out the anti-justice and fake justice seekers in the ‘Justice For Mohbad’ fight.

You are very beautiful and have a unique sense of style. Please, tell us your fashion routine.

God made me beautiful (laughs). I took beauty after my parents, especially my mother. I am bulky just like my parents. In fashion, I’m stylishly traditional. I love dressing in aso oke and other Yoruba traditional wears with beads.