A coalition of 130 Pan-Yoruba groups has written to the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, warning of what they described as a looming genocide against the Yoruba people of Western Nigeria.
In a letter signed by Popoola Ajayi, Secretary-General of the Alliance for Yoruba Democratic Movements, the groups alleged that a coalition of terrorist forces operating within and outside Nigeria was plotting to invade Yoruba territories.
The petition cited the September 17 killing of 15 people, including women and children, at Oke-Ode in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State by suspected Fulani militants.
AYDM described the attack as a prelude to wider invasions, alleging that Nigeria’s security operatives were compromised and sections of the political elite were complicit.
The mass murder of 15 people in Kwara, including women and children by Fulani terrorists was a prelude to the mass invasion of Yoruba territories by heavily armed terrorists who are known for their thirst for blood and human flesh,” AYDM said.
The body also said, the Yoruba people have endured more than a century of violence and torture in the hands of extremists since the 1804 Jihad was launched, describing the latest string of violence as the continuation of the extremists’ desire to impose on the people a theocratic state where democracy is seen as a crime.
“The Nigerian security operatives are compromised while a section of the political class is hand-in-glove with the terrorists, making the prospect of state resolution of the lingering crisis difficult.,” Ajayi warned.
The groups accused extremists of pursuing a long-standing agenda dating back to the 1804 Jihad, claiming it was aimed at imposing a theocratic state where democracy is criminalised.
AYDM also pointed to past atrocities, including the 2020 assassination of Oba Israel Adeusi, the Olufon of Ifon; the killings of other traditional rulers; the June 10, 2022, Owo Catholic Church massacre that left 40 people dead; and the 2024 killing of Oba Segun Aremu, the Onikoro of Ikoro, alongside the kidnapping of his wife.
On Sunday, no fewer than 15 vigilantes and hunters were killed when armed bandits stormed the Oke-Ode community.
Residents told PUNCH Online that several others were abducted during the attack, which has thrown the community into mourning.
A video obtained by our correspondent showed the bodies of the slain vigilantes lying on the ground after the assault.
AYDM’s demands to the UN
The coalition urged the UN to intervene through three steps: compel Nigeria to uphold the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, ensuring justice, democracy, and self-determination, convene an emergency UN Security Council meeting on Nigeria to push for restructuring and self-determination and check Ukraine’s alleged role in sponsoring Sahel-based terrorists, citing statements by Ukrainian intelligence spokesperson Andriy Yusov that, they claim, confirmed involvement.
“The Yoruba are peace-loving and detest violence, but we will not watch helplessly while our people are massacred. We will defend our ancestral land with our last breath. The UN must act now to prevent war, not after genocide has been committed,” the statement read.
The petition was co-signed by leaders of several Yoruba and allied organisations, including the O’odua Peoples Congress (various factions), O’odua Nationalist Coalition, Okun Peoples Association, Kwara Indigenous Peoples League, Yoruba Artisans and Traders Association, South West Professionals Forum, among others.
