The National Leader of the Yoruba Self-Determination Movement, Professor Banji Akintoye, has renewed his call for the Yoruba Nation’s separation from Nigeria.
In a statement commemorating Yoruba Unity Day on September 23, Akintoye urged South West governors and kings to observe this day annually.
He alleged that Fulani bandits have killed approximately 29,000 Yoruba people, continuing to commit atrocities and rape women.
Akintoye emphasized that separation from Nigeria is the only viable option due to these threats and destruction of farmlands.
He stated, “The only viable and sustainable answer to all this horrible situation is to separate our Yoruba nation from Nigeria, and to establish our own country where we shall be able to exercise our sovereignty to provide security for our land and people, and where we shall be able to run our economy decently in the way that we Yoruba know.”
Akintoye claimed that Yoruba unity day was being celebrated in Ile Ife and Ibadan, highlighting the struggles in rural areas where Fulani people are seizing land, killing, raping, and kidnapping Yoruba people.
He called on South West governors and kings to adopt the unity day as a public holiday, saying, “Obas, the fathers of our nation, should adopt this Yoruba unity day in their Councils of Obas in all our Yoruba States.”
Akintoye also addressed other Yoruba people who are hesitant to join the self-determination struggle, stating, “We who are seriously pushing for the separation of our Yoruba nation from Nigeria and the Nigerian disaster are different. Our perception of the Nigerian situation is not self-centered. It is not emotional. It is intellectually sound and realistic.”
Additionally, Akintoye expressed concerns about the security outfit Amotekun, saying its effectiveness has been undermined by the Fulani-controlled Federal Government.
He also noted that the Nigerian economy’s collapse under President Buhari’s leadership is turning many Yoruba people into paupers and beggars.
As a renowned historian and scholar, Akintoye’s stance on Yoruba self-determination is rooted in his extensive knowledge of Yoruba history and culture.
