Following alleged incessant and unprovoked attacks and invasion of their farmlands by some Fulani herdsmen, notable Yoruba leaders held an emergency summit in Ibadan, Oyo State, yesterday threatening to review its status in the Nigerian federation.
The summit was entitled, National Insecurity and the Menace of Fulani Herdsmen in Yorubaland.
The meeting, presided over by former Governor of the Western Region, General Adeyinka Adebayo, warned that the Yoruba will no longer tolerate the present structure of the country, which they claim undermine self actualization of the people of the South West.
Reports from the summit said failure to restructure Nigeria using the 2014 confab report might force the Yoruba people to review her place in a political arrangement that cannot guarantee the protection of her citizens. Factional leaders of the Oodua Peoples Congress, (OPC), Dr Fredrick Faseun and Otunba Gani Adams were unanimous in saying that the time to “leave Nigeria” and assert the sovereignty of the Yoruba people is now.
The summit strongly condemned what it described as the “invasion and killing of people in Yoruba territories” by the Fulani herdsmen. The summit held in the House of Chiefs Section of the Parliament Building of the Oyo State Secretariat with the theme “National Insecurity and the Menace of Fulani Herdsmen in Yorubaland.” The participants also decried the continued oppression of the Yoruba in their homeland by some Fulani herdsmen.
The summit cite incessant cases of rape, destruction of economic plants that form the bedrock of the livelihood of locals, the armed violence unleashed by the nomads coupled with the consequent cultural disequilibrium the displacement of people from crisis-ridden Northern Nigeria have brought to communities in Yorubaland.
He added that subsequent governments in Nigeria have come into power waving slogans that end up leaving the country worse than they met it.
They demanded an immediate end to lawless nomadic activities in the South West warning that any community who cannot establish ranches for their flock should retreat from Yoruba territories.
At the event were prominent Yoruba sons and daughters from the academia, politics and the Diaspora. The sponsors of the summit were Yoruba Council of Elders, (YCE), Oodua Foundation, Afenifere and the Yoruba Unity Forum, (YUF). Some of the participants included the Oyo State Deputy Governor, Otunba Moses Alake Adeyemo, who represented the State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi; Sola Ebiseni, who represented the Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, Pa Olanihun Ajayi, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, Pa Supo Sonibare, Prof Banji Akintoye, Prof Toun Ogunseye, the first woman Professor in Nigeria.
Others were Dr Fredrick Faseun, Otunba Gani Adams, Dr Kunle Olajide, Chief Shuaib Oyedokun and the former Military governor of Lagos State, Brig-Gen Raji Rasaki among many others.
The Afenifere Renewal Group, ARG and many other Pan-Yoruba groups were however absent at the summit.
Fani Kayode hails summit
Meantime, against the backdrop of cases of kidnap and destruction of farms by Fulani herdsmen, former Spokesperson of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode hailed the Yoruba peoples meeting held in Ibadan, warning that the zone cannot be sacrificial lamb to any other zone of the country.
He also warned that the South West may resort to self help if the government fails to protect them.
In a statement yesterday, the former Minister of Aviation said if and when the people of the South West were pushed to the wall, they would then know exactly what to do, adding that the killings, cases of rape and kidnap must stop. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Blablabla nothing will happen only talk talk and noise making. Have a great day
ReplyDeleteCorrect, God bless u for dis comment of urs. Too much talk without action is d real definition of Nigeria. It has become our culture.
DeleteYou may be wrong. These people may not press for secession but they are preparing our minds for possible bloody attacks on Hausa/Fulani people who live in Yorubaland. Yorubas are not the cowards people think they are. Remember the 1965 polgrom? They slaughtered and roasted their own people like goats. They are a long-suffering people, but they can be violent. Watch what happens in the coming months.
DeleteWhat a shame if elders can't put heads together and come up with more responsible solutions except talk about breaking away.Allover the world when educated and well meaning humans have roundtable meetings they come up with solutions and ideas that are highly commendable and acceptable to all but definitely not in Nigeria.Shame on the so labeled elders who despite their advance ages failed to reason likewise
DeleteI don't know the idiots and cowards that call themselves Yoruba leaders! What has Fulani attacks on your land got to do with secession? If they attack you, brace up and attack them back instead of all this shakara! Must the government be responsible for every I'll of the society? Who even made them leaders? COWARDS! A beg, make una park well jooo!
DeleteIs it today that this same people come to destroy farms in South west, even south south, b4 now something need to have been done to stop them frm coming to south west. They should limit there cattle rearing to the north. In this century, some people still taking cows riund d cities for rearing, this is very wrong. They should stay in their farms in the north. But Yoruba leaders are loising grip this days due to corruption, not protecting d culture and the people on like before.
ReplyDeleteThe threat by the Fulani herdsmen is not only to the South-West, it is also happening in the South-South and South-East (though, currently not as pronounced as that in the South-West) and we all know the story in the middle belt and this has gone on for quite sometime now and the Government is yet to take a decisive step to stem the tide of violence, maiming, raping, killing of humans, burning-down of houses and sacking villages. All these have been perpetrated by these herdsmen and nothing seems to have been done hence the whole thing is now spreading like wild fire. I dare say that if these wicked acts had been perpetrated by Southerners in the North, the North would have erupted like a vulcarno, descending on any one called a Southerner. The life of a Northerner is not more precious than that of a Southerner, but that is the way the North has been treating the Southerner all these years. The issue on the ground now is not only threats to the South-West, but the time has come for all those in the South i.e South-West, South-East and South-South, to close ranks and find a lasting solution to this threat, otherwise, one day we will greatly regret our inaction NOW!
DeleteNonsense threat. So dats d solution
ReplyDeleteLivestock farming is a major economic activity that provides employment, livelihood just like any other. Why should we always bear the cross of northerners economically? Breed your animals in your states and sell at whatever price but not deprive us of our source of livelihoods and later resell to us. How different is this from colonialism, where whites exploit African raw materials cheaply to resell finished goods at super profitable prices?
ReplyDeleteYet our Crude oil is oiling your lives and pockets, while we suffer environmental degradation. Degradation from oil exploration; degradation from soil erosion equals decreasing quality of life for us all because of Lord Lugard's foolish contraption called Nigeria.
ReplyDeleteLike the Biafra has been making noise for years
ReplyDeleteShut up they are not making noise Atleast they fought and now peacefully asking to seperate with action.
DeleteLmao. Good morning Yoruba!
ReplyDeleteEven they do nothing at least this meeting shows they disapprove of the useless vampires and what the did to Olu falae. I am ready to support in any action against the herdsmen even as a southeasterner.
ReplyDeleteHow can Yoruba think about secession. I thought we are gummed together with Hausa people with magic gum.when the other guys tried secession,we Yoruba people sabotaged them. So we can't be hypocritic now for we are enjoying the fruit of our sabotage. When it is said that one Nigeria exists only on the lips and pages of newspapers, some people think it is a joke...there is nothing like one Nigeria because we lack unity. Besides, these Hausas are selfish and heartless
ReplyDeleteYes you made a point there. What goes around comes around. Thank you for speaking the truth. Your people sabotaged the Ibos. And now,they are simply getting their fair share of their sabotage. It has not started yet, these Hausa people will show them pepper and there is nothing they can do about it because it is being driven by nemesis...period!
ReplyDeleteYes Yorubas are saboteurs. It serves them right
ReplyDeleteYoruba people get mind?
ReplyDeleteIs true that the Yorubas sabotage us, but I still see them as the most moderate group within the Nigeria context. They are really good people when they want want to be " exception of the O*a".If the ibos and Yorubas can resolve their differences and work together, I think they will counter the Hausa/Fulanis game play in Nigeria. Niether the Ibos or the Yoruba can realize their dream without each other because the North the have been using their difference to monopolize things in Nigeria. If it noe the Yuroba alignment today, tomorrow it will be the Ibos.
ReplyDeletegood morning to our good friends, the Yoruba's. na now una just dey wake? or may be day never break!! go back to sleep and enjoy the dreams of one Nigeria!
ReplyDeletegood morning to our good friends, the Yoruba's. na now una just dey wake? or may be day never break!! go back to sleep and enjoy the dreams of one Nigeria!
ReplyDeleteYoruba Good morning!
ReplyDeleteRather than apply the antidote that was applied by the Agbekoyas in Abaren in those days, Yoruba elders are expecting the Fulani rulers to call their men to order. The Agbekoya legacy is still there if only it can be exploited. However, the Yorubas would rather employ it to destroy their promising young men and women rather than employ it to fight injustice. It is a pity.
ReplyDeleteIgbo and Yoruba stop this fighting! You are being killed and colonised by fulanis and you retards are insulting each other. Do you know much a Republic of southern nigeria would have progressed by now? What educated fools.
ReplyDeleteIh wonder why some of us in this forum take the issue of the threat by these Fulani herdsmen lightly. If one of your villages had been invaded by these herdsmen, houses burnt down, women raped and men killed, perhaps, we would not be saying what we are saying now. The issue is not a matter for insulting one another in this forum, the issue is a ticking time-bomb that may explode any day if decisive steps are not taken to arrest it.
DeleteThey will kill as much as they like and nothing will happen as proven by thier thirst for blood over many decades. As long as they don't kill any southern elites they will not even be arrested. They are the colonial feudalists masters of Nigeria. They own the country and as much as that region is a liability the south is to full of self hating ignorant educated selfish people. Nothing will happen. period.
ReplyDeleteSo it's now that you've started thinking of secession? If you try it,we Igbos will team up with the Hausa fulanis and slaughter you like ileya rams. Try it now.
ReplyDeleteNigeria Eye why will you publish a comment as war inciting like that of anonymous Oct 7 56pm.. The person is obviously a retard
ReplyDelete