Amid Insecurity, Yoruba Union Urges Tinubu to Reclassify Kwara and Kogi West as Yoruba Territories, Not Northern States

Amid Insecurity, Yoruba Union Urges Tinubu to Reclassify Kwara and Kogi West as Yoruba Territories, Not Northern States

The Yoruba Union, Ìgbìnmó Májékóbájé Ilé-Yorùbá, has urged President Bola Tinubu to use his presidential authority to officially delist Kwara State and parts of Kogi State from the classification of “northern states.” The group argued that these areas are historically and linguistically Yoruba and should no longer be subjected to what they described as political and cultural misrepresentation.

In a statement released on Sunday and signed by its Convener, Olusola Badero, and Home Director, Princess Balogun, the union stressed that Kwara South, Kwara Central, and Kogi West are predominantly Yoruba-speaking communities with deep cultural and ancestral ties to the Yoruba nation.

They maintained that categorising them as “northern states” undermines their identity and exposes them to systemic marginalisation.

The statement expressed deep concern over escalating insecurity in the region, alleging that

Fulani herders, operating under the guise of cattle rearing, have been responsible for killings, kidnappings, and violent land grabs.

According to the union, more than 10 Yoruba vigilantes and forest guards were killed in Kwara South on Sunday morning, in attacks allegedly carried out by Fulani herders.

The Yoruba Union, Ìgbìnmó Májékóbájé Ilé-Yorùbá, has accused the federal government of empowering individuals linked to violence against their people, warning that history will judge President Bola Tinubu harshly if he fails to act.

“It is disheartening that members of Miyetti Allah, who have been implicated in attacks on our people, are the same individuals handed AK-47 rifles under the guise of ‘protecting’ us. How can perpetrators of violence be presented as protectors? This is nothing short of betrayal,” the group said in a statement.

The Union insisted that Kwara and Kogi West, being Yoruba-speaking regions, must not be classified as northern states. “To label them as ‘northern’ is fraudulent and a deliberate attempt to strip our people of their rights. We demand that President Tinubu immediately correct this historical distortion. Failure to act would make him complicit through silence as Yoruba lives continue to be lost,” it stated.

They further called on Tinubu to withdraw the so-called “Bororos” deployed to Kwara South, stressing that his inaction would be interpreted as complicity in the suffering of his own people. “Our language is Yoruba, not Hausa. Our identity has never been Fulani or Hausa. To impose such classification is unjust and unacceptable,” the group declared.

Raising alarm over rising insecurity, the Yoruba Union lamented that Yoruba communities were under siege—farmlands destroyed, women assaulted, and families displaced. “This is a calculated attempt to seize our ancestral lands. The Nigerian government must stop arming the very groups terrorizing us. These so-called herders have become marauders intent on erasing us from our homeland,” the statement warned.

Beyond government intervention, the Union appealed to Yoruba communities at home and abroad to rally support for local vigilantes by providing humanitarian and logistical assistance. It also expressed solidarity with the families of vigilantes killed in the line of duty, describing them as heroes of the Yoruba struggle.

“We commiserate with the families of our fallen defenders who gave their lives for the protection of our people. May God comfort their loved ones and strengthen our collective resolve to resist invasion,” it added.

The group commended the courage of local vigilantes who, despite scarce resources, have remained unwavering in their defense of Yoruba land.

“This is not merely a call for reclassification but a cry for survival. The Yoruba nation will not accept a fraudulent northern identity or remain at the mercy of armed aggressors disguised as herders. The time for decisive action is now.

Yoruba communities worldwide must not abandon these brave defenders. Their sacrifices must be honored, and their families must be supported,” the statement concluded.