The Yoruba Self-Determination Movement, spearheaded by Prof. Banji Akintoye and Chief Sunday Adeyemo (Sunday Igboho), has penned an open letter to President Bola Tinubu, urging for a peaceful secession of the Yoruba people from Nigeria.
Dated April 17, 2024, the letter, endorsed by Akintoye, Igboho, and Ola Ademola, implores President Tinubu to establish a negotiation team within the next two months to facilitate the exit of the Yoruba people from Nigeria.
This appeal comes on the heels of recent events, notably the attempted invasion of the Oyo State Government House by armed agitators seeking to hoist their flag at the state House of Assembly. The subsequent arrest and remand of 29 individuals by a magistrates’ court in Ibadan have heightened tensions.
In their letter, the Yoruba Self-Determination Movement highlights the incessant attacks, killings, and kidnappings perpetrated by the Fulani across Nigeria since 2015. They decry the displacement of families in the Middle Belt and the grave instability plaguing Yoruba communities, leading to a dire food crisis.
The group alleges that the Fulani have caused the deaths of approximately 29,000 Yoruba people since 2015, warranting their desire to break away from Nigeria. They express skepticism towards restructuring as a viable solution, fearing that it would not prevent further aggression from the Fulani.
Furthermore, the letter suggests that the Fulani elite intend to make Nigeria ungovernable for President Tinubu and reject any official action he may take.
Representing the 60 million Yoruba people across various states and territories, the Yoruba Self-Determination Movement presents two key requests to President Tinubu:
- The Nigerian Federal Government must, within the next two months, inform them of their willingness to negotiate and establish a negotiation team.
- The Nigerian Federal Government should invite international observers from the United Nations, African Union, and Economic Community of West African States to oversee the negotiation meetings.
The movement pledges to provide the government with their negotiation team once a response is received.
