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  • Ojajuni: Afenifere youth leader recounts harrowing 12-day kidnap ordeal in Ondo

    Ojajuni: Afenifere youth leader recounts harrowing 12-day kidnap ordeal in Ondo

    Afenifere Youth Council President, Prince Eniola Ojajuni, has shared the horrifying details of his 12-day captivity after being kidnapped last month in Akuni, Ondo State.

    Speaking at a press conference in Lagos on Sunday, Ojajuni revealed that he suffered two gunshot wounds—one narrowly missing his spinal cord—and endured relentless physical abuse, including being beaten 72 times daily. He also witnessed fellow captives, particularly women, subjected to brutal mistreatment.

    He described his abductors as heavily armed and highly coordinated, wielding over 20 AK-47 rifles and operating with precision. 

    Ojajuni alleged that the kidnappers belong to a network of armed marauders with more than 55 camps spread across the Southwest.

    Ojajuni said: “On February 17, 2025, I became a victim of the growing wave of kidnappings by Fulani herdsmen in Ondo State, Southwest Nigeria. My traumatic ordeal has strengthened my resolve to speak out against this escalating security crisis and to demand immediate and decisive action from the government and all relevant authorities.

    “While traveling near Akunu Akoko, Ondo State, en route to Abuja, my vehicle was ambushed by armed Fulani herdsmen dressed in military uniforms, despite being near a military checkpoint. The attackers sprayed our vehicle with 19 bullets, wounding me and others before forcibly abducting us. 

    He disclosed that his abductors initially demanded a N100 million but eventually released him after receiving N17 million with food and drinks from his wife. 

    “After my wife told them all they could raise was N17 million, I was beaten mercilessly before they agreed to release me. They told my wife that in addition to the money, she should buy 20 wraps of fufu, soup and drinks for them”, he explained. 

    He described how his ransom payment had to be relocated from Ikare to Ibilo after the kidnappers detected security forces tracking them.

    “They realized that my phone was being tracked every time they put it on and relocated the place my ransom is to be made. The saddest thing is that this place is just behind a Correctional Service in Ondo, also not too far away from security checkpoints”. 

    According to him, kidnappers have set up at least 55 camps across the South-West, strategically positioned for their operations.

    The kidnappers, he disclosed, operated with sophisticated weaponry and advanced technological capabilities, using victims’ phones to track and monitor communications.

    He expressed grave concern over the increasing audacity of the kidnappers, who allegedly boasted about plans to intensify abductions in Ondo and Lagos States, particularly along the Sagamu-Ijebu Ode Road.

    “These criminals have established well organized kidnapping camps across Southwest Nigeria, strategically positioned for their operations.

    In Ondo State- 27 camps, Ekiti State – 15 camps, Osun State – 7 camps, Ogun State – 5 camps. Their reign of terror targets innocent travelers, extorts families, and destabilizes communities with impunity. During my captivity, the kidnappers boasted of their plans to intensify abductions in Ondo and Lagos States, citing their hidden camps in these regions. They also revealed details of their operations along the Sagamu-Ijebu Ode Road, near Oso-Sa Ijebu, weeks before my abduction”, he disclosed. 

    Prince Ojajuni, called for immediate and decisive action against the rising wave of kidnappings by armed marauders in Southwest Nigeria. 

    “This intelligence should serve as a wake-up call to all security agencies and state governments in the Southwest. If urgent measures are not taken, more innocent lives will be at risk”, he added.

    He urged the Southwest Governors’ Forum to immediately convene a regional security summit with youth representatives to address the crisis. 

    He proposed the establishment of a Southwest Youth Security Network in collaboration with the Inspector General of Police and the Nigeria Forest Guards Team, which would focus on strengthening intelligence gathering, improving community surveillance, and ensuring swift reporting and response to suspicious activities. 

    He also pledged to provide firsthand intelligence from his captivity to help security agencies dismantle the kidnappers’ operations.

    Ojajuni criticized the Ondo State government for its “lack of urgency” in tackling the security crisis and urged the federal government to take immediate steps, including deploying additional security personnel to high-risk areas, establishing more security checkpoints on highways and forest borders, enhancing intelligence and surveillance operations, identifying and prosecuting collaborators aiding kidnappers, and conducting security sweeps across forests in Edo, Ondo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Ibilo, and Lagos.

    He commended the Inspector General of Police for launching an intelligence-driven rescue operation and acknowledged the intervention of the Nigeria Forest Team. 

    He, however, emphasized that more decisive action is required to curb the menace of kidnappings in the region.

    Ojajuni expressed solidarity with the other captives, including seven men and two women who were abducted alongside him. 

    He specifically mentioned Mrs. Ramota from Okitipupa, Ondo State, originally from Kwara State, and another abductee from Abuja, both of whom suffered severe abuse and are still receiving medical treatment.

    The President, Coalition of Yoruba Youth Leaders, Tolani Hassan emphasized the need for immediate government intervention. 

    Hassan stated that the coalition is the apex body representing Yoruba youth in Nigeria and the diaspora, with over 200 groups under its umbrella, including Afenifere. 

    He called on the federal government to recognize the coalition’s role in the upcoming national youth conference, stressing that vital security information had been shared at the event, while more sensitive intelligence was being reserved for security purposes.

    Read Also: Afenifere writes Tinubu over alleged plot to halt crude oil supply to local refineries

    Hassan urged the federal government, the National Assembly, state houses of assembly, and security agencies to intensify efforts in combating insecurity. He highlighted the limitations of state governors due to the absence of state policing and called for a review of the system to allow states more control over security. 

    Hassan also called for increased recruitment and better equipment for the police and the Amotekun Corps, questioning why Lagos State had yet to implement the security outfit.

    He charged Southwest leaders, including governors, senators, and lawmakers, to uphold their constitutional duty of protecting lives and property. 

    Stressing the urgency of the situation, he called for a national security meeting in the Southwest, declaring that Yoruba youths would no longer tolerate kidnappings, ritual killings, and human trafficking in the region.

    “We don’t want to have this ugly incident again in the Southwest, and that is why we are saying this must be the end of every form of kidnapping in the region. The entire Yoruba youth are saying we don’t want this again in the Southwest, and we are demanding an end to kidnapping, child abuse, ritual killings, and all forms of insecurity. We want peace in the Southwest, and we are ready to take action to ensure it”, he added.

  • Kidnappers release Afenifere youth leader

    Kidnappers release Afenifere youth leader

    Kidnapped president of Afenifere Youth Council, Prince Eniola Ojajuni has been released, The Nation has learnt.

    Ojajuni was released Saturday night at Ibilo, Edo State, a source confirmed to our correspondent.

    “We thank God…Ojajuni just released now. He was released at Ibilo, Edo state,” the source said.

    Ojajuni was kidnapped on February 17 at Akuni in Ondo State while on his way to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    His kidnappers had initially demanded N100 million as ransom and subsequently added two tricycles to their demand citing a failure to meet the first deadline.

    Read Also:UPDATED: Abducted Afenifere youth leader regains freedom

    The kidnappers also threatened to kill him should their demand not be met by 3 pm last Tuesday, a development that caused panic among Nigerians.

    To ensure his free return, the police launched a special joint operation involving operatives from Kogi, Ondo commands, and well as tactical and intelligence experts from the Force Headquarters, Abuja

    At the time of this report, it was not clear if a ransom was paid to secure his release.

  • CSO, Afenifere youths fault Sowore’s comments on IGP Egbetokun

    CSO, Afenifere youths fault Sowore’s comments on IGP Egbetokun

    A Civil Society Organization (CSO), Concerned Citizens for Justice and Rule of Law, has condemned what it described as baseless and malicious attacks against the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, by the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore.

    Speaking at a news conference on Friday in Abuja, the CSO stated that Sowore was attempting to undermine the security apparatus of the nation.

    The spokesperson for the group, Comrade Kabir Matazu, applauded the efforts of the police chief in ensuring national security and tackling crime across Nigeria.

    He noted that the IGP had ushered in a new era of professionalism and effectiveness in the Nigeria Police Force. 

    He said unlike others who blow their own trumpets at the slightest achievement, Egbetokun had quietly and meticulously implemented strategic reforms that have significantly curbed crime.

    Matazu added: “Apparently, his leadership has witnessed a marked reduction in violent crimes, including kidnappings, armed robbery, and terrorism-related incidents. Furthermore, community policing initiatives, which he has broadly enacted, have helped strengthen trust between the police and citizens, ensuring better cooperation in intelligence gathering.”

    He emphasized that despite these achievements, the IGP had chosen modesty over self-glorification, describing this as “a rare trait and a mark of a true leader—one driven by duty rather than personal acclaim.”

    Matazu alleged that “Sowore’s unwarranted attacks on the IGP are part of a well-orchestrated distraction campaign aimed at diverting attention from the tremendous progress being made in ensuring national security.”

    Matazu claimed that those benefiting from insecurity in Nigeria viewed the IGP’s success as a threat.

    The CSO noted that, unlike those who abuse power and resort to intimidation, IGP Egbetokun had displayed an exceptional level of civility by choosing to address Sowore’s allegations through legal means.

    He continued, “Rather than using the might of the police force to silence him, the IGP chose to seek redress in a court of law, reaffirming his commitment to justice and democratic principles.”

    According to Matazu, “This should serve as a lesson to Sowore and his cohorts that Nigeria is not a jungle where lawlessness reigns. If one has grievances, the proper avenue is the judiciary, not cheap propaganda and media blackmail.”

    Matazu urged the IGP not to lose focus and to continue his work in restoring law and order. He praised the police for achieving “remarkable feats in intelligence-driven policing, community engagement, and high-profile criminal arrests.”

    He reaffirmed the group’s full support for IGP Egbetokun in his quest to ensure security, law, and order in Nigeria. 

    He encouraged him to stay focused on securing the country, as “the law is on his side, and justice will always prevail over propaganda.”

    Meanwhile, the Afenifere Youth Coalition also condemned what it described as Sowore’s continued and unwarranted attacks on prominent Yoruba public office holders, including IGP Egbetokun.

    At a press conference on Friday, the coalition accused the publisher of Sahara Reporters of building a career around harassing, defaming, and undermining public officials. They insisted that it was time to set the record straight.

    The group stated, “Recently, he posted self-indicting video evidence of himself resisting and obstructing public officers from doing their job, disobeying lawful orders, cyberstalking, and attempting to prevent arrests.”

    They further alleged that Sowore’s attack on the IGP was “not just a random act of provocation but part of his larger agenda to destabilize the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

    Describing this as unacceptable, the group asserted, “As Yoruba youths committed to the peace and progress of our land, we refuse to sit idly by while such reckless behavior continues unchecked.”

    The coalition commended IGP Egbetokun for choosing to handle Sowore’s case through legal means rather than resorting to abuse of power.

    Read Also: Why Egbetokun isn’t illegal IG, by AGF Fagbemi

    They emphasized that “the judiciary must ensure justice is served so that this case sets a precedent that online defamation, cyberbullying, and targeted harassment will no longer be tolerated.”

    They challenged Sowore to provide evidence of his platform’s constructive contributions to governance in Nigeria.

    They commended IGP Egbetokun for his patience, professionalism, and adherence to due process in handling Sowore’s defamation case. 

    Unlike others who might have resorted to abuse of power, they said, “the police chief chose the lawful route by seeking redress in court.” 

  • Afenifere seeks action on security

    Afenifere seeks action on security

    • Appoints Dele Farotimi as national organising secretary

    Pan Yoruba sociopolitical organisation, Afenifere, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to overhaul security architecture, to enable Nigerians live and move about without fear of being kidnapped or harassed.

    It said the overhauling should include accelerated action on the decision of the government to have state police.

    Afenifere said there was urgent need to include modern technology more comprehensively in the battle against banditry and terrorism.

    This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the caucus meeting of Afenifere held at the home of its leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti.

    Afenifere said overhauling security architecture would check kidnapping and banditry ravaging the country.

    Read Also: Police probing 179 suspects laundering of N11b, says spokesman

    It called for licensing of states’ security network code-named Amotekun to carry lethal weapons.

    In the communiqué, Afenifere urged greater cooperation between Amotekun Corps and other security agencies, and called for installation of command and control posts of Amotekun across local governments for proper information sharing.

    The communiqué said: “In view of the high costs of food items in the country, Afenifere urges states and local governments to make things easy for local farmers by providing them with the needed resources – even at subsidised rates. This will not only make foodstuffs more available; it will also enhance the council’s finances and boost the local economy.

    “Afenifere calls on President Tinubu to leverage on his known democratic credential as a federalist by quickening the country’s realisation of true federalism as soon as possible.”

    Pa Ayo Adebanjo’s faction of Afenifere, at its meeting in Ogun State, appointed Dele Farotimi as national organising secretary of Afenifere.

    In a communiqué issued after the meeting, it urged President Tinubu as the Commander-in-Chief to take bold, positive and ideological steps to ensure protection of life and property

  • Afenifere to Tinubu: Overhaul security architecture to curb kidnappings, banditry

    Afenifere to Tinubu: Overhaul security architecture to curb kidnappings, banditry

    Pan-Yoruba socio-political organization Afenifere has called on President Bola Tinubu to overhaul security architecture in the country to enable Nigerians to live and move about without fear of being kidnapped or harassed.

    It said the overhauling should include accelerated action on the decision of the government to have state police.

    Afenifere said there was urgent need to include modern technology more comprehensively in the battle against banditry and terrorism.

    This was contained in a communique issued at the end of the caucus meeting of Afenifere held at the residence if its leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti.

    Afenifere said overhauling security architecture would check incidences of kidnapping and banditry ravaging the country.

    It called for licensing of states’ security networks code-named Amotekun to carry lethal weapons.

    In the communique, Afenifere urged greater cooperation between Amotekun corps and other security agencies and called for installation of command and control posts of Amotekun across all the local government areas for proper information sharing.

    According to the communique, “In view of the high costs of food items in the country, Afenifere urged states and local governments to make things easy for local farmers by providing them with needed resources – even at subsidized rates. This will not only make foodstuffs more available; it will also enhance the council’s finances and boost the local economy.

    “Afenifere called on President Bola Tinubu to leverage his known democratic credentials as a federalist by quickening the country’s realization of true federalism as soon as possible.”

    Read Also: 2027: Benue ALGON endorses Tinubu, Alia

    Meanwhile, the Pa Ayo Adebanjo faction of Afenifere, at its meeting held in Ogun State, appointed Dele Farotimi as national organising secretary of the Afenifere.

    In the communique issued after the meeting, it urged President Tinubu as the Commander-in-chief to take bold, positive, and ideological steps to ensure genuine protection of life and property all over the country.

    The communique reiterated the need for restructuring to ensure immediate constitutional institutionalization of state police.

    It called for the release Nnamdi Kanu saying there was no justifiable reason to continue to keep him in detention without trial.

    “Afenifere notes that from all circumstances, particularly since his abduction  in 2021 and rendition to Nigeria and since then subjected to controversial and conflicting legal proceedings in different courts by which his fair trial may no longer be guaranteed in the opinion of reasonable members of the public, it is clear that Nnamdi Kanu is indubitably a political detainee. In the interest of justice and  national reconciliation, Afenifere urged President Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu forthwith.”

  • Whither Afenifere?

    Whither Afenifere?

    Sir: Since the return to civil rule in 1999, Afenifere, the Yoruba socio-cultural organization has suffered series of set-backs that have impeded its effectiveness. Foremost among Afenifere’s series of setbacks was the emergence of splinter groups – a development that has weakened the bond of amity and peaceful coexistence that hitherto characterized the organization since its founding.

    The Afenifere Renewal Group, a breakaway splinter group by the organisation’s former Secretary General, Wale Oshun seems to have created irreparable vacuum;  a formidable personality that has the capacity to even lead the organization to the future.

    Then there was the sudden death of the publicity secretary, Yinka Odumakin. His death, a couple of years ago, seems to have ruined the vibrancy and fervency of the Afenifere, such that one wonders if the organization is still on course especially in its socio-cultural roles. As a result of the disagreement between incumbent leader, Pa Fasoranti and elder statesman, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Odumakin’s successor, Jare Ajayi appears to be completely hamstrung to perform the duty of the publicity secretary of the organization.

    At the age of 90 and above, Chief Fasonranti is already constrained to perform the duty of the office of the leader of Afenifere effectively and nobody seems to be filling the gap. Such vacuum constitutes a dent on the psyche of the organization and a rob on the numerous Yorubas who look on to the Afenifere to provide one succour or the other in an interdependent society like ours.

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    In order to restore sanity to the Afenifere as a socio-cultural organization, there must be a review of its constitution to permit a rotational leadership, to be elected for a period of five years of one term tenure-ship.

    This is the practice in Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Arewa. The six states of southwest geo-political zone should be given each the deputy leadership position. The position of all other offices too should be rotational and with fixed term of five years.

    The idea of a life-time leader of Afenifere should be discountenanced after the exit of the incumbent, Chief Rueben Fasonranti. The idea of rotational leadership will give room for young and vibrant individuals to aspire to be president as against the present gerontocracy.

    Whoever is the leader of Afenifere stands as Yoruba leader and all hands must be on deck to support the leadership as the representative of the race among other socio-cultural groups in the country.

    •Sunday Olagunju,Ibadan, Oyo State.

  • Probe call for military takeover, Afenifere, MNR urge Fed Govt

    Probe call for military takeover, Afenifere, MNR urge Fed Govt

    • ACF condemns looting during protests

    • Governor alleges carting away of Ganduje trial documents

    Federal Government should identify those behind calls for a military takeover, the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and socio-political organisation, Afenifere, and leaders of ethnic nationalities under the Movement for National Reformation (MNR), said yesterday.

    Also, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) condemned the looting and destruction that trailed the 10-day protests which began on August 1.

    It said the protesters went far beyond permissible limits and questioned their motives.

    The effects of the protest were especially felt in Kano, where Governor Abba Yusuf said hoodlums destroyed the high court and carted away documents on the corruption charge against ex-governor Abdullahi Ganduje.

    ACF, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Tukur Muhammad-Baba, said the waving of the Russian flag by some protesters was not only inexplicable “but unequivocally condemnable”.

    The group noted widespread discontent, frustration, and anger among the Nigerians over “dire living conditions, lack of education, healthcare, and economic opportunities, coupled with the ongoing insecurity in the country, require urgent attention.”

    While criticising the inadequate response of federal and state governments to the well-publicised protests, the forum stated: “The constitutional rights of citizens to express grievances through demonstrations and protests must be respected.

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    “However, there is a need for robust and dynamic engagement between citizens and government representatives on the direction of public policies.

    “We urge calm and resilience among citizens as they struggle to move on from the devastating effects of the protests,” ACF said.

    It also condoled with the victims.

    ‘Ganduje’s corruption trial documents missing’

    Yusuf said the protesters who carted away Ganduje’s corruption charge documents were allegedly hired.

    Ganduje, national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), was Kano governor from May 29, 2015 to May 29, 2023. He is facing multiple charges before the state high in court.

    The state government is accusing him of conspiracy and misappropriation of public funds running into billions of naira.

    Yusuf, in a statement by his spokesman, Sanusi Bature, said: “The vandalism is a masterminded and staged-managed mission in which the hired miscreants carted away the corruption charges documents…

    “It is very unfortunate that enemies of Kano State hired undesirable elements to vandalise one of the historic public buildings with a mission of averting corruption charges against Dr. Ganduje, his family and aides.”

    The government said the miscreants destroyed the High Court, including the office of the Chief Judge,  with losses amounting to over N1 billion.

    The governor visited the court in the company of the Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice Haruna Isah Dederi, the Chief Registrar Alhaji Abdullahi Bayero and judges.

    Yusuf called on the youth to desist from being used by detractors to destroy public assets.

    ‘Probe coup calls’

    MNR said those calling for a military takeover of a democratic government and hoisting foreign flags during the protests should be investigated.

    At a press conference in Abuja, the group said the hunger in the land does not warrant a call for the military to take over.

    MNR, whose membership cuts across all regions, also called for a return to the 1963 Constitution.

    One of its leaders, Da Jonathan Sunday Akuns (alias Galadima Daffo from Plateau state), said: “The strident clamour for a hostile and undemocratic change of the government should not go without proper investigation and appropriate punishment for the sponsors.”

    The group believes the 1963 Constitution was the foundation upon which Nigeria was built, and its setting by the military accounts for all the challenges.

    MNR added: “We must not and cannot permit the champions of ethnic chauvinism to extinguish civil democracy no matter its imperfection.”

    Afenifere, in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi, said the country’s democratic dispensation “should not be sacrificed or truncated for any reason”.

    The pan-Yoruba organisation stated that while democracy has its challenges, “it is still the best in our current situation because of its inherent characteristics of making the people the custodians of political mandate”.

    Afenifere added: “Its elastic nature allows various tendencies to operate – as long as they do so within the ambit of the law. This is a far cry from what is obtainable under a military government.”

    Plateau: curfew still in place

    Plateau State said there has been no further relaxation of the curfew.

    “Residents are reminded that movement is permitted only between 7 am and 7 pm.

    “The public is advised to disregard any misleading information and to adhere strictly to the stipulated curfew hours,” a statement by the governor’s spokesman, Gyang Bere, reads.

  • Supreme Court ruling: Afenifere lauds judiciary, FG

    Supreme Court ruling: Afenifere lauds judiciary, FG

    …warns direct allocation should not make LGs appendages of FG

    The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and socio-political organization, Afenifere, has commended the federal government and the judiciary over last Thursday’s ruling that affirmed local governments’ right to the fund accruing to them from the Federation Account.

    The commendation was contained in a statement signed by the organisation’s national publicity secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi.

    It would be recalled that the federal government, through the Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, in May this year, instituted a case at the Supreme Court seeking a stoppage to state governors literally holding the local government councils in their areas by the jugular.

    In the judgement read by Honourable Justice Emmanuel Agim, the apex court conceded that “the Federation can pay local governments allocations directly to the local governments or through the states.”

    But the Court asserted that “since paying them through the states has not worked, justice demands that local government allocations from the federation account should henceforth be paid directly to the local government”.

    Justice Agim then declared matter of factly that “the states’ retention of local government funds is unconstitutional”.

    The ruling also outlawed the appointment of caretaker Committee’s, rather than elected officials, to run the affairs of local government councils.

    “Afenifere salutes the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu for instituting this case, salutes the judiciary for the landmark judgement and congratulates Nigerians because the ruling is returning control to them as against the prevailing situation which the governors have been manipulating to deprive the people of control at the local level”.

    Ajayi went further to clarify that local governments getting their allocations directly from the Federation Account does not mean that they are attached to the apron of the Federal Government.

    “Those holding this position need to be reminded that the local governments, like other tiers of government, are entitled to the funds in the federation account. The constitution states that federal allocations must be disbursed in this ratio: 52.68 % to Federal; 26.72 to States and 20.60% to Local Governments.”

    Afenifere spokesman asserted that since this is a constitutional provision, “no tier of government should withhold or corner the allocation meant for another tier. If it happens, such a thing can be challenged in the court. And, as we have witnessed in the recent past, the courts would normally rule in favour of the litigant”.

    Ajayi added that a President can not use the excuse that local governments get their allocations directly from the Federation Account to erode their relative independence as guaranteed in the constitution.

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    “The fact that states get their allocations directly from the federation account does not make them appendages of the FG. By the same token, the fact that local governments are to get their respective allocations from the same federation account would not make them appendages of the federal government.

    “Any local government chairman that kow tows to Abuja simply because his council’s allocations come from Abuja is being servile and is ignorant. Allocations from the federation account is not a favour. It is a right to each of the three tiers of government as prescribed by the 1999 Constitution”.

    Afenifere lauded Justice Agim and his colleagues for acknowledging the constitional position on joint account.

    “Note ought to be taken of a point stressed by the Honourable Justice to wit: joint account being supposedly run by the state and local governments is not the only means through which the third tier of government can get their funds.

    “It is a moot point that in every part of the world that cares for good governance, every tier of government is entitled to its own shares of the federation’s resources. The Constitution saddles the local government with a lot of responsibilities.

    “But these responsibilities can not be carried out without access to resources. In addition to funds coming from the central purse, they should also be relatively free to generate their own revenues. Meaning that the sources of generating local revenues that were usurped by state governments should be returned to the local governments”.

    Afenifere also praised the court for outlawing non-democratically elected officials to run local government councils adding that it is against ‘democratic norm’.

    “As is well-known, Afenifere is vigorously agitating for the restructuring of the country in such a manner that constituent entities in the country would be in a position to control their respective affairs within the ambit of a federation. States would have necessary control over the affairs within their respective states just as the local governments too would have control over their respective places.

    In other words, powers and functions of each tier of government, including the local governments, should be constitionally guaranteed.

    “Such powers include the right of the people to elect those who would govern them and to have inputs into how resources in their localities are appropriated, ” the statement maintained.

  • Afenifere: A new beginning

    Afenifere: A new beginning

    On 17 April, 2024, an iconic image was splashed across television screens and newspaper pages. It was that of the Chief of Staff to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Right Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, wheeling the nonagenarian Leader of the Yoruba socio-cultural group – Afenifere – Pa Reuben Fasoranti, on a mobility aid, in the inner recesses of the Presidential Villa in Abuja, with the kind of care with which eggs are carried. That picture is worth more than a thousand words. The picture is complemented by another one in which, in a crescent-shaped arrangement, a delegation of Yoruba elders led by Pa Fasoranti posed for a photograph with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, on a visit to him at the Aso Rock Villa. Those pictures are indices of changing times.

    When Yoruba elders congregated at Premier Hotel in Ibadan on 7 February, 2013, for a meeting convened by the Yoruba Unity Forum (YUF), it was to lament and protest Yoruba marginalisation by the President Goodluck Jonathan administration. At least one of the key personalities at that meeting, Chief Olu Falae, was also present at the 17 April, 2024 meeting with President Tinubu. The Vanguard of 14 February, 2013, in an article by Charles Kumolu entitled “Now we’re the marginalised – Yoruba elders”, reported Chief Olu Falae, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and former Minister of Finance, to have remarked as follows: “the degree of marginalisation of the South West zone borders on attempts to excise the zone out of the federation”.

    In the pattern of President Tinubu’s pre-election Emilokan speech, Chief Falae was reported to have recalled: “In the dying days of the Yar’Ádua administration, when there was a lot of reluctance to make Jonathan the acting President, it was predominantly Yoruba activists who led the march to the National Assembly to force our lawmakers to pronounce Jonathan acting President.” He was also reported to have said: “when the then-Acting-President Jonathan chose to run for president, he got the enthusiastic endorsement of many Yoruba progressives, especially the leadership of YUF, die-hard Awoists who pushed his acceptability to the Yorubas by portraying him as a fulfilment of an earlier Awolowo prophesy about the Ijaws and the presidency.”

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    In spite of the best efforts of Yoruba elders’ groups like YUF, Afenifere has remained the most enduring and most well-acknowledged Yoruba leadership group. In fact, at its beginning in the 1950s, Afenifere was an ideologically pristine Yoruba-interest-promoting group. Due to this perception, even Yoruba personalities who were not actively involved in its activities could at least identify with it spiritually. And members of other ethnic groups saw it as the quintessential Yoruba voice. However, with time, the group began to slide. It started treating those who were outside its fold as inconsequential and began to treat Governors of Yoruba states and other government functionaries with condescension.

    It was at this stage in its development that Afenifere led most of the Governors of the Yoruba states into the infamous and treacherous agreement for the Southwest Governors, who belonged to the Alliance for Democracy (AD) at the time, to work for President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2003 presidential elections, while he would work for these Governors to ensure that they retained their seats on the platform of their party, AD. It was only one of the AD Governors, Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Lagos State, who saw through the game of the foxy old General. For their pains, the Governors lost their seats to the governorship candidates of Obasanjo’s PDP. Rather than acknowledge and appreciate his political perceptiveness and foresight, some sections of Afenifere subjected Tinubu to what may be called ‘generational opprobrium’ which had its greatest opportunity to be manifested when Tinubu went into an alliance with General Muhammadu Buhari to unseat President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.

    Self-acclaimed political ‘prophets’ predicted that Tinubu would regret his alliance with the Hausa-Fulani and that he would emerge battered and bruised and as an utterly damaged political product. So, when after the commencement of the Buhari administration, it appeared as if Tinubu was being deliberately shut out of the Presidential Villa by some aides of President Buhari, the political prophets were fast to claim the “we-said-so” credit. Then the preparations for the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries began, and with it came all of the shenanigans which appeared to be targeted at ensuring that Tinubu did not win.

    But then, some Northern Governors of the APC came out in the nick of time to say that they supported that the presidential ticket of the party be given to a Southerner. Tinubu emerged the beneficiary of that historic consensus. All the same, the prophets of political doom still had high hopes when a series of measures were taken seemingly to ensure that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu lost the election. This was when the then-Governor Nasir-el Rufai of Kaduna State issued the patent declaration: “I want to say that those of us from Northern Nigeria honour agreements. We do not violate unwritten political agreements…” Meanwhile, an Acting Leader for Afenifere, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, had been appointed in 2021, in the light of the quite advanced age of Pa Fasoranti, and the most combative elements in the group seemed to have gained ascendancy. Some key members of the group failed to live by the Yoruba proverbial principle that “Àgbàlagbà ma ñ yá’jú ni, àgbàlagbà ò kìí yá’nu” (‘Elders are swift to see, but slow to speak.’) They also seemed to discountenance the proverb, “ÌÌrÍÌ níí yÍ obì l’ápò, ÍÌrÍÌ níí yÍ Ífà nínú apó.” (‘Words draw kola nuts from the pocket, and words draw arrows from the quiver.’) In fact, some tendencies within Afenifere seemed to relish shooting verbal arrows, thereby alienating significant sections of the Yoruba elite and large swathes of some other ethnic groups.

    The most self-deprecating act in this regard was the following widely-reported spiteful and undemocratic declaration by Pa Adebanjo, as Acting Leader: “I don’t have to consult him.” He said this in respect of his seemingly unilateral decision to declare that Afenifere’s choice for the 2023 presidential election was the Labour Party candidate Mr. Peter Obi, without consulting his principal Pa Fasoranti on behalf of whom Pa Adebanjo was acting.  

    As the mercurial part of Afenifere continued to predominate, many things were going amiss in Yorubaland. Even those things for which the Southwest was easily given credit started to elude the zone. One of such things is religious tolerance. Before now, it used to be axiomatic to say that “in Yoruba society, hardly can you find a family without Muslims and Christians living together in harmony.” Today, this claim has become more like a means of sedating and incapacitating Southwesterners who wish to protest religious injustice. And it is those who are guilty of the injustice or those who benefit from it who resort to the increasingly vacuous refrain. There are all sorts of tendencies now which belie the axiom.

    One is the formation of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) which describes itself as follows: “The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) is an Islamic human rights organization. … As a major mechanism in our operations, we open dialogue with institutions, employers and agencies in order to intervene on behalf of aggrieved Muslims. … Our adoption of dialogue has often doused tension in Nigeria and reduced the incidence of violence.” The organisation is headed by a now-retired Professor of Islamic Studies, Ishaq Akintola. The rather anti-intellectual, kneejerk reactions to the mention or positions of MURIC on religious issues are often amazing. It is also strange that some members of the non-Muslim elite propagate the stereotype that MURIC is a fringe, one-person outfit. It is not.

    Another index of the widening religious gulf in Yorubaland is the formation of the “Association of Christian Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (AOCTRON)” to which the Tor Tiv, Professor James Ayatse, emerged as Head in October 2020. One enquiry showed that the registered office of the group is in Ogun State, and a Yoruba traditional ruler is one of its key sponsors. Decreasing religious accommodation in Yorubaland is also shown in the public spat that occurred not long ago between a popular Lagos-based Yoruba Pentecostal Pastor and his family members over what was perceived as the mistreatment of a vulnerable Muslim member of the family, including the desecration of the corpse of that family member by the Pastor.

    Currently, the most disturbing index of religious disharmony in Yorubaland is the open conflict between the Soun of Ogbomoso, His Royal Highness Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye (a Pentecostal Pastor) and the Chief Imam of Ogbomoso, Sheikh (Dr.) Talhat Yunus Ayilara. In those days in Youbaland, four personages, working together, superintended over the peace, harmony and well-being of the society. They were the traditional ruler, the Chief Imam, the Pastor and the Head Teacher. This makes the Ogbomoso feud unacceptable. Ironically, Afenifere which should have been in the best position to intervene has in the recent past portrayed itself as a pseudo-evangelical outfit, considering the utterances of its then-Acting-Leader, Pa Adebanjo, during the campaigns for the 2023 presidential elections.

    For example, he was widely reported to have said: “Obi is leading the crusade to get us out of the bondage of serious oppression. … We will give it what it takes. It is either bend or break. If Obi does not win, forget a country called Nigeria. If we lose this election, there will be no opportunity for a non-Christian (sic), a non-northerner to be president again.” In a 3 February, 2023 report, by Samad Uthman, entitled “Ayo Adebanjo: If Obi loses, a Christian southerner may never be president again”, The Cable newspaper put in context the Afenifere Acting Leader’s misadvised statement.

    Afenifere has splintered, resulting in the creation of the Afenifere Renewal Group in 2008. It has also understandably lost considerable public respect even within Yorubaland, and the erstwhile almost sacred group started to be the object of caustic puns. The most telling one was the reference to “Af¹ìnif¹ìre” (which may be translated as ‘well-wishers’) as “Af¹ìnif¹ìbi” (‘evil-wishers’). Respectable members of the Yoruba elite then started to publicly confront, criticise or simply stay clear of anything that had to do with the group.

    If Afenifere must regain its mystique, its relevance and its prestige, especially now that the office of Acting Leader has been abrogated, it must recognise, respect and accommodate diversity within contemporary Yoruba society. The pictures of Afenifere that came out of the Presidential Villa show that the group has come full circle, and is setting out on a new beginning. The emerging new Afenifere must be introspective, align its actions with its declared objectives and must not depend on verbal darts to establish its authenticity.

  • Afenifere and the progressive camp (2)

    Afenifere and the progressive camp (2)

    In the course of the week, I had cause to be at the Akure, Ondo State-home of the Afenifere Leader, Reuben Fasoranti, and I saw modesty in its raw form. From Fasoranti’s symbolic bungalow which has played host to presidents, governors and other crème-de-la-crème of the society in their monstrous agbada or Babarigas, to the information gleaned from Nigerians in and around his residence, yours sincerely couldn’t stop marveling at the Spartan lifestyle of this 97-year-old Awoist. Anyway, that’s a story for another day!

    Well, the threatening truth is that Afenifere is down and the progressive camp is beaten! So, when will Yorubaland laugh and when will the progressive camp shout uhuru? When will our land smile again and when will Yoruba leaders wake up and face reality? When will they appropriate the social capital as it was in the days of Egbe Omo Oduduwa, whose existence wasn’t structured around tea party or ‘owambe’? Right now, the Yorubas are behind in terms of capital formation, financial intermediation and allied stuff. Of course, we have never been this behind in a century and a half! Even at the time of the Kiriji War, the Lagos Colony was very advanced, vis-à-vis the rest of Africa, save for South Africa.

    For now, what Yorubaland refers to as strength is just the property values of a few capital cities like Lagos and Ibadan. Take that away, what remains is zero capital strength, compared to what obtained in the 1920s and the 1940s, up to the 1960s. So it’s like basking in the euphoria of past glories! Take, for example, the Banks created by our heroes past were not just Banks but strategic financial institutions. Had successful generations of Yoruba leaders stayed faithful to the cause, National Bank and Wema Bank would have become the biggest, dominant financial institutions in Africa outside of Standard Bank in South Africa for, whereas Central Bank of Nigeria is talking about N500 billion naira paid-up capital, Standard Bank of South Africa already has a paid-up capital of $13 billion, which of course makes ours a joke.

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    So, how can Afenifere restore the strength of the Yorubas and let their eyes receive sight and how can the progressive camp make everything perfect at its time? Interestingly, while the former seems to have been demobilized by political partisanship, the latter, as it is, is walking on its knees and somebody needs to create a positive narrative before players in the sector completely hijack its ideological relevance.

    Talking about the progressive camp, yours sincerely wasn’t a small boy during the ‘June 12’ crises and the roles played by Frank Ovie Kokori and other prominent Nigerians, all in a bid to bequeath a lasting democracy to Nigeria. The then Secretary General of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) was hounded into prison and could only heave a sigh of relief after death struck Sani Abacha like a thief in the night. Thereafter, Kokori lived unsung and died like a pauper, which was a devastating indictment on the progressives.

    When he launched his book, ‘Frank Kokori: The struggle for June 12’ in 2014, reports had it that only Segun Osoba attended the event among “the ensemble of characters who led the famous June 12 struggle.” Others simply slept beside their wives in the comfort of their homes, which was a disgrace of monumental proportion to the bent. It’s even on record that when Kokori was in Bama Prison in Borno State, only Osoba was paying regular visits and rendering financial assistance to his (Kokori’s) family. Yes, that’s the kind of progressive class we are dealing with in Nigeria!

    But Kokori wasn’t alone in this progressive embarrassment. Ola Oni! Akin Makinde! Chima Ubani! And others! They’re an unforgettable part of the struggles that eventually brought Nigeria to where she is. But didn’t the country they served with all their strengths abandon them when they needed it most? I doubt if any of the friends in power even remembers the likes of Alfred Rewane, Babatunde Elegbede, Olu Omotehinwa, Bisoye Tejuosho, Suliat Adedeji, Shola Omosola and Bagauda Kaltho who paid the ultimate price for us to get to this pass! Abiola and Kudirat, his wife, are only lucky that they have some few monuments named after them; and the reason is simple! We are even hearing that Governor Ademola Adeleke is planning to rename MKO Abiola Airport in Ido Osun, Osun State after Isiaka Adetunji, his late brother and former governor of the state. Well, Nigerians hope it’s fake news; and it had better be!

    In sane climes, the progressives are supposed to be the main drivers of social change. But is that happening in this part of the world? If we couldn’t honour people like Kokori for their active, frontline roles while they lived, it only goes to show that everything about democracy in Nigeria is self-centered, half-hearted and transactional. Had Kokori for example been honoured, maybe the man would still be alive today!

    John McCain was an American senator who had his own distinct mind. He went to school. He also maintained tradition. He was a “soldier of soldiers” who fought for his fatherland. In the process, he was captured and almost killed. But, as fate would have it, McCain ‘graduated’ to a Prisoner of War (POW). After his release, he came back to the USA, again, to serve his fatherland until death. Even, in death, the Senator from Arizona remained justified for the actions he took while he lived. Now, look at McCain’s children and what they are achieving for selves and fatherland?

    In the considered opinion of this writer, this is not the time to forget those who risked what they had for what the country needed but now lack the voice and the mobility because of dispensational factors or nature of their creation. To get out of the woods therefore, Afenifere has to set out the real development agenda with the ferocious finesse that will define its very boundaries and prescribe the landscape of institutional democracy for the Yoruba nation. It is unfortunate that the region is falling so behind, especially in times of credit and this is not too good for us! So, we need a leadership that will celebrate not only the generations of love among us but also the legacy, inspiration and the testimony of our founding fathers.

    More than ever, the Yoruba nation needs an established culture of political consciousness that can demand and stand for its rights and a Development Agenda that can truly negotiate the future, capture the interests of the race, synthesize and stick to the needs of the people, and entrench a system of democratic awareness in the people. Again, this is where DAWN Document and Yoruba Academy come in! Let Afenifere rethink its vision and work with the state governments in the region on how to make things happen!

    As a Yorubaman, President Bola Tinubu has an important role to play in ensuring that the race doesn’t go extinct and this is a historic opportunity for him to spearhead a federalist agenda, which was what Awolowo and, indeed, most of his colleagues from the other regions, had always believed in and fought for. A proper federalism is what is of utmost benefit to Yorubaland and everything will fall into place! Of course, that’s the biggest legacy Tinubu can bequeath to Nigerians!

    Last of all, isn’t there an urgent need for the progressive icons in Nigeria to call a solemn assembly for the revival of the hopes of their forefathers?

    May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us peace in Nigeria!

    ● Concluded.