Council of Yoruba Elders Moves to End Banditry, Terrorism in Yorubaland

The Council of Yoruba Elders (CYE) has declared a state of emergency in Yorubaland and unveiled plans to mobilise resources and strategies to end banditry, terrorism, and kidnapping threatening communities across Yorubaland.

CYE Secretary-General, Dr. Victor Taiwo, disclosed this at a news conference held on Saturday in Ibadan.

The Council lamented that Yorubaland is currently “in distress” and “mourning,” citing rising cases of abductions, killings, and torture of innocent citizens in forests across the region.

The group described the situation as a reversal of the development legacy laid by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

According to the Council, the violence being witnessed today is not random but part of a long historical pattern. It traced the current insecurity to what it called a “two-century-old calculation” by elements linked to the 19th-century Fulani jihad.

The group claimed that the defeat of invading forces by Ibadan warlords at Osogbo in 1840 had earlier halted the push into Yorubaland. The group said the continued existence of the Ilorin Emirate serves as a reminder of that unfinished contest.

The Elders further claimed that bandits and terrorists have systematically moved from Kogi and Kwara through Ekiti, Ondo, Edo, Oyo, and Ogun, with forests in those states now under occupation, leaving only Lagos as the final target.

“From Kogi to Kwara, from Kwara to Ekiti, from Ekiti to Ondo, from Ondo to Edo, from Edo to Oyo, and from Oyo to Ogun, all our forests have been patiently occupied, with only Lagos State remaining.

“By the time Lagos is captured, their mission is accomplished and the Yoruba people are doomed forever,” said CYE.

The Council expressed concern that proceeds from ransom payments have enabled criminal groups to acquire large quantities of arms and ammunition. It also accused the political class of failing in its responsibility, alleging that many leaders are preoccupied with electoral politics while citizens suffer at the hands of kidnappers.

Identifying the root of the problem, the Council said Yorubaland lacks a central command and coordinating leadership structure. It argued that since the passing of Chief Awolowo and former Ondo Governor Adekunle Ajasin, the region has suffered from a leadership vacuum that has left communities exposed and uncoordinated in the face of crisis.

To fill that gap, the Council of Yoruba Elders said it is presenting itself as the credible leadership platform to coordinate the response. It noted that the organisation has over three decades of experience in Yoruba emancipation advocacy and possesses the “strategies and stratagems” needed to checkmate the advance of criminal elements and push them back.

However, the group said it lacks the financial and material resources to execute its plans. It therefore called on wealthy individuals, professionals, and all people of means in Yorubaland to support its rescue mission by contributing to its operational fund.

The Council concluded with a direct appeal to Yoruba sons and daughters at home and abroad to answer what it called “a clarion call to patriotism and salvation.” It warned that failure to act now could have dire consequences for future generations.