• With regionalism, restructuring, most agitations will stop – Gani Adams
From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
AN ally of the recently released Yoruba Nation
agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, otherwise known
as Igboho, Dr Tunde Amusat has insisted that
agitation for self-determination by Igbohi and
his allies would not be truncated just because a
Yoruba man, Bola Tinubu, emerged Nigeria’s
president.
Amusat spoke in an interview with Saturday
Sun on Saturday.
For the past few years, the Yoruba people in
the South West of Nigeria have had to deal with
insecurity and violence perpetuated by different
groups. The insecurity ranged from kidnap-
pings, mainly by suspected Fulani bandits, to
cultism, and theft by Yoruba people themselves,
which created a general sense of unease and in-
stability in Yorubaland for a long time.
The quest for stoppage of incessant kidnap-
pings, killings, destruction of farmlands, and
raping of women by herdsmen gave rise to the
Yoruba nation agitator, Chief Sunday Adeye-
mo, fondly called Igboho. It was when the vices
wanted to overcome the people of Igangan in
Ibarapa zone of Oyo State.
Igboho met the calibre of people like Prof
Banji Akintoye of Ilana Omo Oodua World-
wide, and Iba Gani Adams, the Aare Ona
Kakanfo of Yorubaland, in the struggle for
liberation of Yoruba race. Adams started his
own agitation in the Oodua Peoples Congress
(OPC), following the annulment of June 12,
1993 presidential poll, presumed to have been
won by Chief M.K.O. Abiola.
However, Igboho’s house was violently at- tacked in Ibadan twice. The second attack led to
the death of some people. He also escaped being
arrested or killed in Nigeria. He was arrested at
the Cotonou International Airport in Benin Re- public on his way to Germany, taken to court,
and was subsequently placed in protective cus- tody in Cotonou.
But he was released by President of Benin
Republic, Patrice Talon, some days ago. Igboho
has since travelled to Germany to be with his
family. But he said he would come back to Ni- geria soon.
However, Saturday Sun spoke with Iba Gani
Adams, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland,
and Dr. Tunde Amusat, one of the leaders of
Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide, which is the apex
Yoruba self-determination group, on the rel- evance of the struggle, security in Yorubaland,
what Igboho’s freedom mean to the struggle for
self-determination, and lessons for Igboho and
other agitators, as well as the government.
According to Iba Gani Adams, the past few
months have seen a reduction in insecurity,
thanks to a change in power and newly found
political will to punish offenders. He noted that
“the only security threat now is from the Middle
Belt, where bandits are overrunning some of the villages, as well as insecurity in Zamfara.”
He added that Yoruba people themselves
have to work on internal insecurity issues
caused by cultism, kidnapping, and theft. These
issues stem from rivalries between and among
different cult groups, which have been killing
members of rival groups, leading to the murder
of future leaders. Adams stressed the need to fo- cus on solving these issues.
He stated further that despite the reduction in
insecurity, the Yoruba people’s agitation for self-
determination remains as relevant now as it was
before. Adams believed that the struggle cannot
die, and it shouldn’t, insisting on the need for
true federalism or restructuring.
“This restructuring should include more
power being devolved to the federating units
to allow for regional governments like those of
Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s days,” he said.
According to him this form of government
will allow each region to be held accountable for
issues like education and will reduce the burden
on the Federal Government. Adams added that
the release of Sunday Igboho from detention
in Benin Republic is a welcome development,
saying anyone who has fought for freedom at
some point would likely experience captivity,
and that it’s an opportunity to learn and under-
stand oneself and others. However, he doesn’t
believe he’s in a position to speak on what les-
son Igboho took away from the experience.
Under his leadership, he said Yoruba self-
determination struggle has two primary organ-
isations, including the socio-cultural organisa-
tion – Oodua Progressive Union (OPU), and
the freedom fighter group – Yoruba One Voice
(YOV).
Adams noted that the latter group has 98 percent of its members as intellectuals, who are agi-
tating for self-determination or restructuring. He
emphasised that the group advocates diplomacy
and peace and is not violent in its approach.
“The release of Sunday Igboho in Benin Re-
public is a welcome development. When you
are put in captivity, freedom will come one day.
It is a common saying among freedom fight- ers that anyone who has not gone to captivity
among us must probably be an agent of the state.
I was detained for 18 months. It was when I was
in the prison that I got to know those who were
loyal to me and those that were moles. When I
came back from prison, I sacked a number of
them. Even, the remaining ones, they were still
infiltrated.
“So, my prison experience taught me how to
do things in different ways, how to be construc- tive in doing things, how to understand people
more, way of life, and so on. But I cannot say
anything about the lesson for Igboho on the
struggle. He is in the best position to say that.
When you interview him, he will tell you by
himself.
“Then, we have two organisations agitating
for liberation of Yoruba race. The first one is
Oodua Progressive Union (OPU), and the sec-
ond one is Yoruba One Voice (YOV). The OPU
is a socio-cultural organisation, while YOV is a
freedom fighter.
“The YOV has 98 per cent of its membership
as intellectuals, agitating for self-determination
or restructuring. We have been adopting diplo-
macy in our approach. We are not violent. We
are a peaceful organisation.
“It must be placed on record that Yoruba
people are not violent. It is not in their character
to be violent. They are very organised. But they are very wise. If you want to fight for Yoruba,
you have to use your brain, and don’t attempt to
over-shine them. If you do that, you will create
more enemies.”
In the same vein, Dr. Tunde Amusat, one of
the leaders of the Yoruba Self-Determination
Movement, in Ilana Omo Oodua believed that
the struggle for self-determination would con-
tinue even with a Yoruba president in power.
He cited the legality of self-determination and
the recognition of its legitimacy by the United
Nations Charter, and that Nigeria is a signatory
to the charter. He mentioned that while kidnap- ping has been a problem, it’s not a crime unique
to one ethnic group.
He stated: “The Yoruba Self-Determination
Movement under the leadership of Prof Banji
Akintoye gives kudos to President Patrice Talon
of Benin Republic for releasing Igboho uncon- ditionally.”
On the lessons for Igboho and other agita- tors, he said: “I don’t have such for Igboho, but
the establishments, especially the military and
paramilitary. They should learn that you cannot
coerce people asking for self-determination into
silence. You would recall that Sunday Igboho
escaped death by the whiskers. Some people
were killed in his house in Ibadan and his house
was also vandalised.”
Amusat continued: “The struggle for self-
determination for Yoruba race is still very much
alive. It is not dead. I must say that the struggle
will continue, whether a Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa or
Fulani man is the President of Nigeria.
“Then, self-determination is not a crime. It
not illegal. It is legitimate. It is recognised by the
United Nations Charter, in which Nigeria is a
signatory. So, Yoruba struggle for liberation is a
legitimate cause. Therefore, it is good news that
Igboho has been released. He is not a criminal.
He has not committed any crime.
“People must also know that the struggle for
self-determination for Yoruba race is still rel-
evant today. In the past, we did not take up arms
in prosecuting the struggle. We are a peaceful
people and we are going about the struggle
peacefully.
“On insecurity in South West, it has really
abated, though we still have pockets of kidnap-
ping, armed robbery, and so on. But kidnapping
is not a preserve of one ethnic group. So, South
West is relatively peaceful. It is not in our char-
acter to take up arms against the Federal Gov-
ernment.
The Yoruba Self-Determination Movement’s
relevance remains as valid as it did before the
pandemic. The people are advocating a Nigeria
where regions can take charge of their affairs,
deliver important public goods,