Yoruba Leader, Banji Akintoye Writes President Buhari Over Planned Exit Of Ethnic Group From Nigeria

By Ayodele Oni

Yoruba Nation agitator, Professor Banji Akintoye, again in a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, has given notice of exit of the Yoruba ethnic group from Nigeria.

The renowned historian and leader of the umbrella body of Yoruba Self-Determination Movement, Ilana Omo Oodua, stated that time is now for the Yoruba ethnic group for self independence.

In a letter dated August 6, 2022, Akintoye pointed out that the onslaught and continued attacks by Fulani militants can no longer be tolerated by the people.

“We, Yoruba people, solemnly reject any arrangement that would subject us to continued membership of Nigeria.

“Even much worse, Mr. President, you and we do know that, consequent upon, and beyond, all these serious distortions and devastations, a bloody and generalized war is now imminent in Nigeria.

“As these would-be conquerors and their allied terrorists continue to unleash their devastations on indigenous peoples across Nigeria, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo (president 1999 – 2007), has publicly alerted the world that war has become inevitable, and is imminent, in Nigeria.

“According to countless additional sources from all parts of Nigeria, including statements and threats by terrorist and bandit groups, this final war will be triggered by a massive invasion of Abuja by a combination of terrorist and bandit forces.

“This will be followed by claims by these forces that they have taken over the authority of the Nigerian Federal Government, and followed by a general demand that the peoples in all parts of Nigeria should surrender their homelands.

“Since the indigenous peoples will not surrender their lands to the Fulani and their terrorist allies, the war will spread all over Nigeria for years to come and lead to massive refugee floods from Nigeria into most parts of West Africa, generating massive disruption, poverty and human suffering across West Africa .

“We can no longer continue to watch as we face the probable extermination of our people through the unprovoked and persistent aggression by another ethnic group with which we are living together in the same country.

“The people of the South West region have been attacked by heavily armed marauders and militias, who have been invading “our homeland for many years from the Northern part of the country of Nigeria to which we belong.

“The Nigerian Federal Government, in view of the serious urgency of the situation, shall, within the coming days, but not later than Friday September 30, 2022, inform us that they have graciously agreed to our proposal for negotiation and that they have set up a negotiation team that will meet and dialogue with our Yoruba nation’s representatives.

“That as soon as we receive the communication from the Nigerian Government, we shall forward the list of our negotiation delegates to the Nigerian Government.

“That the Nigerian Government negotiation team and our negotiation team shall meet to appoint co-chairpersons, and to agree on a date for the first negotiation meeting, the procedure, and the venue.

“That ECOWAS, the African Union, and the United Nations shall be invited to send observers to the negotiation meetings.”

“Mr. President, we eagerly and most respectfully await your response to our proposal as spelt out above.

“Mr. President, we include below in this letter a Map of Yorubaland in Nigeria, depicting our desired sovereign Yoruba Nation-State.

“Mr. President, we, Yoruba, have taken our time to consider various options available to us as a civilized people in today’s civilized world.

“We have arrived at the most reasonable conclusion and the most sustainable option in the best interest of our people.”