By Atoyebi Nike
A coalition of 130 Pan-Yoruba organisations has petitioned United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, warning of what they described as a looming genocide against the Yoruba people in Western Nigeria.
The petition, signed by Popoola Ajayi, Secretary-General of the Alliance for Yoruba Democratic Movements (AYDM), alleged that terrorist groups within and outside Nigeria were plotting to invade Yoruba territories.
The groups cited the September 17 killing of 15 residents, including women and children, in Oke-Ode, Kwara State, by suspected Fulani militants as evidence of an unfolding crisis. AYDM described the attack as “a prelude to mass invasion,” accusing security operatives of compromise and sections of the political elite of complicity.
“The mass murder of 15 people in Kwara… 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,” Ajayi said.
The coalition linked the current wave of violence to a long-standing extremist agenda dating back to the 1804 Jihad, alleging that its aim remains the imposition of a theocratic state hostile to democracy. It also referenced past atrocities, including the 2022 Owo Catholic Church massacre, the 2020 assassination of Oba Israel Adeusi, and the 2024 killing of Oba Segun Aremu, among others.
As part of its demands, the coalition urged the UN to:
Compel Nigeria to uphold the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Convene an emergency Security Council meeting on Nigeria to push for restructuring and self-determination.
Investigate Ukraine’s alleged role in supporting Sahel-based terror networks.
“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 petition read.
The letter was co-signed by several Yoruba and allied organisations, including the O’odua Peoples Congress, O’odua Nationalist Coalition, Okun Peoples Association, Kwara Indigenous Peoples League, and the South West Professionals Forum.
