Chief Sunday Adeyemo also known as Sunday Igboho, left the country to lodge a petition on the separation of the Yoruba Nation from Nigeria, with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, recently.
Adeyemo was accompanied on the trip by Professor Adebanji Akintoye,a renowned historian, Mr Fatai Ogunribido, Vice President of Ifeladun Apapo, Alhaja Adeyeye, General Secretary of Yoruba World Media, Prophet Ologunoluwa, Diaspora Youth Leader and Paul Odebiyi who is member of Yoruba Nation Movement.
During the trip,the group was reported to have submitted a letter to the UK Prime Minister.
Though the content of the letter is still shrouded in secrecy, however, Igboho’s spokesperson, Mr Olayomi Koiki in an interview with Vanguard said, ” it has to do with our quest to exit Nigeria”.
The duo of Professor Akintoye and Igboho have been working together on the call for the Yoruba ethnic group to secede from Nigeria.
Speaking in seperate interviews with the media in London, members of the delegation pointed out that the treaty signed with Nigeria had expired and felt that Yoruba should leave.
The self-determination proponents lamented what they described as perceived atrocities of the Fulani people and concluded that the only antidote to stop the perceived injustice is for Yoruba to cut the umbilical cord that has tenaciously held the various ethnic groups together since 1914 Lord Lugard’s amalgamation.
“There is a good reason to fear now that the Nigerian situation could destroy our Yoruba nation. In the rural areas of our homeland, where probably the majority of our people live, the Fulani people who are determined to seize land for a homeland of their own, are daily killing our people, have killed a roughly estimated 29,000 of our people, are raping our women, kidnapping men, women and children, extorting millions of Naira in ransom for the kidnapped, destroying farms, food barns and villages. For over nine years now, they have been forcing our farmers to abandon farming, and by now, most of our farmers have abandoned farming, and many of such farmers have been migrating with their families to Benin and Togo Republics. Our nation faces the doom of a serious lack of food for years and years to come. This horror is increasing. It has risen to the killing of our Obas by the Fulani”, one of the proponents stated.
The trip to London generated both repulsion and praises among Yorubas. While some Yoruba people supported the self-determination proponents, others kicked against any break up.
Two groups from the zone, Yoruba Commitment Forum led by Otunba Tayo Onayemi and Oduduwa United People Association, founded by Chief Jimoh Taofeek, aligned with Igboho and his group.
While declaring his support, Chief Taofeek said the only permanent solution to the Fulani herders’ invasion of Yoruba land is the separation of ethnic groups in the country.
“The only way to proffer lasting solution is for each interested region clamouring for disintegration to do so peacefully, through national dialogue and in accordance to international practices.
“This singular act, if it can be considered for implementation in my view, will strongly create an avenue for inter-regional positive competitions that will adequately strengthen the security, promote peace and stability, enhance rapid growth and development in all aspects of natural, physical and human resources within each region to add more meaningful value to the economy”, he stated.
Similarly, Otunba Onayemi supported the call for a free Yoruba Nation, a separate Arewa Nation as well as a Biafran country for peace to reign.
Onayemi said: “Prof Akintoye has only touched a portion of the looming danger leaving the other portion yawning for inclusion. And that’s the aggressive and well-coordinated Igbo’s desire for expansion and repeatedly announced acquisition threats to Yorubaland.
“Holistically, Nigeria today is sitting on a keg of gunpowder which may go off anytime while the leaders and elites, who know the true situation, keep pretending and they deceive the populace to their perils too.
“This is so because, once the bubble bursts, no one will be entirely safe. To avoid pogrom, massive deaths and a disaster, Nigeria should urgently consider unbundling or devolving powers to the former three regions of the West, the East and the North with a provision that ethnic nationalities caught up in the web of the unbundling, should be free to choose their affiliation course.
“I support the calls for a free Yoruba Nation, a separate Arewa Nation as well as a Biafran country for peace to reign, avoid unnecessary calamities and to foster good relationships among the three countries living in deceit, hatred and suspicion in Nigeria.”
However, the Yoruba Council of Elders(YCE), through its Secretary General, Chief Oladipo Oyewole views the call for separation as a wrong approach to the alleged atrocities against the Yoruba.
He said, “YCE has again reviewed the Nigerian situation and our conclusion as a body is that cutting off the head is not a remedy, not a panacea to a serious headache. The agitation for a breakup or breakaway from Nigeria by some Yoruba (because not all Yoruba are part of the agitation) is an action likely to put Nigeria in unending turmoil.
“As elders, the YCE would rather go the way of ensuring a correct place for Yoruba in the comity of the assembly called Nigeria. We, of the YCE, have severally asked for the review of the 1999 Constitution. We have consistently asked for a Constitution that will protect us. We have asked for a viable right of place in the scheme of appropriation of our commonwealth in Nigeria.
“Until now, we have asked for restructuring. We will, as a body, continue to seek peace and ask for all that will make us comfortable as stakeholders in the confederation.
“The YCE is not interested in the break up of Nigeria. Accordingly, let us put heads together to map out a course to make each region viable and promote self-reliance to provide economic satisfaction for all Nigerians progressively.”
“As for the perceived harassment of President Bola Tinubu by northern leaders, the President is a manager with the instruments of office. He surely knows what to do and how to achieve his goals.”
On his part, a former Secretary of the YCE, Dr Kunle Olajide opined that there is no basis for the group to make such a call.
Olajide said: ” A Yoruba man is the President of this country today. In my opinion, in unity lies strength; the country is stabilizing and making progress.”
In his own view, a former Nigerian Ambassador to the Philippines, Dr Yemi Farounmbi said that the call for restructuring remains a better option than secession.
“I think there is confusion in the way he presented his matter. My understanding of what it stands for us as a Yoruba nation is a nation that breaks out of Nigeria remains independent and is no longer part of Nigeria. But we have a President who says he will uphold the unity of the country.
“So, I cannot find the commonality in what he has said. What is appealing is the call for restructuring of the country, where each ethnic nationality governs itself in line with its characteristics, history, nationality, culture and traditions.”