KEY POINTS
- Akintoye claims Fulani herdsmen have killed around 29,000 Yoruba people and continue to commit violence.
- He urges Southwest governors and Obas to declare September 23 as Yoruba Unity Day.
- Akintoye advocates for the separation of the Yoruba nation from Nigeria for security and self-determination.
The National Leader of the Yoruba Self-Determination Movement, Professor Banji Akintoye, has renewed his call for the separation of the Yoruba from Nigeria. He also urged Southwest governors and traditional rulers to declare Sept. 23 as Yoruba Unity Day.
Akintoye claimed that Fulani herdsmen have killed nearly 29,000 Yoruba people and continue to commit atrocities, including rape and other violent acts. He made the claims in a statement marking Yoruba Unity Day.
Akintoye, a historian, said the ongoing violence and destruction of farmlands leave the Yoruba with no option but to seek independence.
“The only viable and sustainable solution to this terrible situation is for our Yoruba nation to separate from Nigeria and establish our own country, where we can exercise sovereignty to provide security for our people and run our economy as we know best,” he said.
Continued violence and weakening of Amotekun
As reported by Vanguard, Akintoye said Yoruba Unity Day is being celebrated in Ile-Ife and Ibadan. He also pointed out continued violence in rural areas, claiming Fulani groups intent on land seizures are responsible for the deaths of roughly 29,000 Yoruba people, as well as widespread kidnappings and extortion.
“Our people are being killed daily, our women raped, and millions of naira in ransom are being paid for kidnapped victims. Farms, food stores, and entire villages are being destroyed,” he said.
He called on Southwest governors and traditional rulers to make Yoruba Unity Day a public holiday.
“Our Obas, the fathers of our nation, should adopt this day through their councils in all Yoruba states. I urge our governors, when they meet as a group, to adopt Yoruba Unity Day for all our states,” Akintoye said.
He also called for more Yoruba people to join his self-determination campaign.
“We are seriously pushing for the separation of our Yoruba nation from Nigeria. This is not an emotional or self-centred perception of the Nigerian situation—it is intellectually sound and realistic and accepted by at least 80% of Yoruba at home and abroad. There is a real fear that the Nigerian situation could destroy our Yoruba nation,” he said.
Commenting on the security group Amotekun, Akintoye said there was initial hope when the Southwest governors launched it to combat the Fulani threat. However, he said Fulani’s influence in the federal government has weakened the effectiveness of the outfit.
“The Fulani terrorists are becoming increasingly bold in committing crimes and acts of barbarism in our main cities,” he said.
Akintoye also expressed concern about political instability in Nigeria, noting that “even our kinsman who won the presidential election faces mounting threats, including the possibility of a military overthrow and regional rebellion.”
