The Odua People's Congress was founded in 1995 by Dr. Frederick Fasehun as a nationalist Yoruba advocacy group composed of activists and tribal leaders.  However, an armed militant group split from the OPC in 1999 and since has become dominant over its peaceful parent organization, though the Nigerian government treats the two groups as one entity. This militant wing seeks to achieve the independence of all native Yoruba lands from Nigeria. Hailing from southwest Nigeria, the Yoruba people, who at 30 million make up about 21% of Nigeria's population, are the second largest ethnic group in the country behind the Hausa at 29%. According to Yoruba legend, Odua was the deity sent from heaven to create and inhabit the earth.<br /><p><br /><br />The year 1999 was a turning point for the OPC. The Presidential Elections held that February brought General Olusegun Obasanjo into office. Despite being ethnically Yoruba himself, Obasanjo was unpopular among Yoruba due to his career in the military, which is traditionally dominated by the northern Nigerian ethnic groups responsible for the oppression of many southern ethnic groups such as the Yoruba. Furthermore, allegations of "voting irregularities" led to violence and rioting in the city of Lagos after the election results were announced. Five police installations were bombed, several officers and civilians killed, and many injured.<br /><p><br /><br />Meanwhile, a militant faction of the OPC was mobilized by young firebrand Gani Adams (aka Ganiyu Adams), who then claimed legitimate authority over the whole group. In effect, this split the OPC into two branches, one violent and one non-violent. Adams has a separatist agenda, seeking full independence for the Yoruba people, and does not hesitate to use force to achieve his goals. Regular Nigerian citizens, who still believe in the powers of sorcery, rallied behind Adams' cause, enamored with his ability to make eggs explode, when in reality, Adams had crafted small improvised egg bombs consisting of egg shells filled with sulfuric acid. During the post-election chaos, some protestors fearlessly charged police installations, waving white handkerchiefs, which they thought would protect them against bullets. Immediately after the riots, Adams was forced into hiding, and since then has been captured and released several times. The OPC's militant wing is known to conduct small-scale attacks on police targets with primitive explosives like gas and sulfuric acid bombs as well as small arms.<br /><p><br /><br />Though Fasehun quickly denounced the post-election violence, a manager and several guests at a hotel he owned were harassed by local police forces. The hospital that Fasehun owned and worked at received bomb threats from OPC militants critical of his unwillingness to use force.<br />