Siege On South-West: Before It’s Too Late
“A ko le ba ni sun, ka fa eni ni Itan ya” translated into English means: “You can’t injure your bed partner and expect good relationship thereafter.”
In the same vein, there is another deep Yoruba saying that, “Oju l’alakan fi nso ori” meaning eternal vigilance is crucial for one’s survival.
As we ruminate over the unfortunate incident of penultimate week which threw the whole of Yoruba South West and by extension lovers of peace in the country into mourning, it is necessary to look back and identify when the rain started to beat us in order to identify possible areas to overcome today’s security challenges.
The challenges arose apparently out of our lack of caution and prevention of the evil day which the above Yoruba proverb signifies.
In the period between 2019 and 2021, the government of late Muhammadu Buhari, actually laid the foundation for the grave insecurity bedevilling the region and country when he muted the idea of implementing policies that will favour the free movement of his Fulani kinsmen scattered all over the Sahel countries into Nigeria.
This encouragement though not a state policy but has shown that it was a grand attempt to encourage the imposition of the population of his Fulani ethnic group into the country and possible islamisation of the polity.
Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria’s former President indeed warned of this evil motive in one of his various open letter to Nigerians on what he described as “Fulanisation and Islamisation agenda.”
It was poofed off by critics as another talk by the former leader. Today, his prediction and warning have become a reality.
Secondly, Buhari also through the botched Ruga settlement scheme intended to achieve through the back door, a policy to establish settlement for herders across various states in the country which was rejected by Southern governors before it was suspended.
He intended to achieve the above grand schemes through his “Visa on Arrival” Immigration Policy of 2019 which seeks to introduce visa free entry for all African citizens.
This equally sparked fears and outrage among southern states that such a policy would facilitate an unchecked influx of foreign herders into Nigeria.
Again, the declaration to revive moribund grazing routes abandoned since 1965 and rendered unconstitutional by the 1976 Land Use Decree which vested Lands on state governors was another ploy dead on arrival.
Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredoku, the Late Governor of Ondo State deserves kudos from the people of the South West as he galvanized states in the region through the introduction of security outfit Amotekun.
The scheme nailed Buhari’s intention in the bud but not after the late President has compromised the military through his Fulanisation and Islamisation policy which is making the war against terrorism difficult to win.
It will be recalled that since the end of the Yoruba inter- tribal wars which ended with the Armistice late in the 19th century, Yorubaland has through its customary way of being good hosts thrown its door wide open to receive guests and visitors from other ethnic groups in Nigeria decades before independence from British rule.
Even with the end of colonial rule, Yoruba liberalism and accommodating spirit has been acknowledged by other ethnic groups in the country.
This probably accounts for its rapid socio- economic development and growth.
Such that after the three years civil war between 1967 and 1970, former Western region- a predominantly Yoruba enclave, was the only territory to gladly welcome back the then Biafrans who ironically ignited the civil war that killed hundred of thousands of their children in the war front.
Their abandoned properties were also returned to them.
Unfortunately, today such large heartedness which saw Yoruba states selling their land to outsiders and accommodating them in the spirit of Nigerian unity is now being treated with disdain.
It is such that three years ago, some of our South east misguided youths lay claim to Lagos, an unquestionable Yoruba territory, as “No man’s Land.”
That was when Yoruba nationalism snapped and today not a few of them had questioned the continued necessity of harbouring a visitor who turns around to poke fingers at their face for being accommodating.
However, the event of last Friday May 15, 2026, when terrorists who freely moved in from the Northern part of Nigeria, after the local military and United states forces had made their region hot, kidnapped, abducted residents, children and teachers in some local schools in Oyo, has drown fears into their minds.
The Oyo kidnap saga has now confirmed the fear that the terrorists incursion into Ekiti and Ondo last year was a prelude to implementing the Utman Dan Fodio crusade of “dipping the Koran into the sea.”
Fear has descended on all and has called to question the rationale for a guest to turn its host to graveyard.
It has also called to question the capacity of the Nigerian Armed Forces to contain the terrorists who have graduated from being mere kidnappers and bandits into a dangerous army of occupation of the region.
The terrorists’ incursion into Yoruba territory has reignited the possibility of what the defeat of the then rampaging Fulani forces at Osogbo by Yoruba forces failed to achieve.
The pattern of the kidnapping and slaughter of the teacher is as instructive to what fate lies ahead for an unprepared Yoruba nation.
That the evil men put salt into injury by slaughtering the head teacher of Ahoro-Esinele Community High School, Michael Oyedokun and gleefully displayed the video to outside world shows that their hosts of decades are now a conquered people.
That there was subdued anger by the Yoruba portrays their late conviction that before their very eyes they are experiencing the gradual takeover of their territory by savages from other land who has scant regard for human life.
What is to be done?
Irrespective of political leaning, it is now a matter of Urgency that Governors of the South West have to move from rhetoric and declaration of intent by properly equipping the Amotekun outfit to be prepared to combat the terrorists in modern ways to stop their determined displacement of their territory.
Two, the governors have to procure latest military weapons that could withstand the operational dexterity and fire power of the terrorists who are being backed by strong forces from within and outside Nigeria.
Three, today no Nigerian leader including the President can stop regions and threatened ethnic groups from defending their homeland since the military forces already compromised cannot defend Nigerians.
The issue is now beyond Nigeria’s capacity and we have to seek outside help.
Four, it is apparent that outside help cannot work if threatened communities do not cooperate to reignite unity, share native intelligence to expose internal collaborators and ward -off outsiders.
Like the Yoruba adage “Airin po ejo, lo n je omo ejo niya,” meaning: “If snakes of all types bandied together in one nobody can attack them.”
It is also important to accept the necessity of another saying in Yoruba that: “Ko si eni to le kan osusu owo,” meaning: “Nobody can bend a bunch of broomsticks.”
Standing together by the people to ward off danger is stronger than any outside might.
Determination of the Iranians to stand by their leaders is one of the strongest strength of its military which was able to stalemate the US backed Israeli war; the real intention to effect regime change failed by President Donald Trump because the Iranians stood by their government.
Fifth, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Commander In Chief of the Armed Forces has a date with history by ensuring that enough persuasion and pressure is mounted on the National Assembly to pass the law for creation of State Police which no sane person can oppose now.
As for Baales and Traditional rulers who allow undocumented strangers on their lands either by selling to them or in the spirit of good neighbourliness, they should re-examine their attitude if their domain won’t become history.
Since, Yoruba adage says, “Bi ogiri ko lanu, alangba ko le wo Ibe,” meaning internal collaborators are avenue to allow invaders and terrorists to gain foothold in their domain to displace them.
The discovery of a large methamphetamine factory in Ogun East area is an indication that there is a nexus between terrorism and drug addicts.
Terrorists use drugs produced and imported by unscrupulous Nigerians.
Activities of the NDLEA Ied by Brigadier Buba Marwa on illicit drugs in Nigeria deserve commendation.
There is no way Baales who sold hectares of land to the Mexicans who established the drug factory in the village could vein ignorance of the activities of the foreigners and their evil Nigerian collaborators who live far away in Lekki and Ajah axis of Lagos.
The events of the last two weeks in states of the South West is a clear signal that danger is here with us as War of domination has been ignited by the invaders.
Only a determined people can withstand external invasion.
