By Kayode Emola
For many Yoruba people clamoring for their own independent sovereign nation, the designation of Nigeria by President Donald J. Trump as a ‘country of particular concern’ was a welcome development. For many of us, this was long overdue, as it seemed no one was listening to our cry for help in the past.
At last, it suddenly felt that we were being listened to, and what we have been clamouring for is coming to us from the most unlikely sources. Whilst many Christian communities were being brutalised by the combination of Boko Haram and the Fulani terrorists in conjunction with their foreign and local sponsors, the Nigerian government stood by doing nothing to help.
They allowed the Fulani terrorists to run riot on defenceless communities in the name of Jihad, when the truth is that these people themselves are not even religious. They hide in the name of religion to commit atrocities that are beyond imagination, creating fear wherever they go.
In September 2025, more than twenty communities were displaced in Kwara and Kogi States by these terrorists. We did not hear any word from the President of Nigeria, nor the Governors of Kwara or Kogi State. They went about their business as though the lives of the citizens didn’t matter anymore.
As a matter of fact, the Governor of Kwara State went with President Tinubu to commission a project at the end of September in Imo State, whilst his own state was being attacked. This goes to show that the so-called political leaders are just in politics for the optics rather than the opportunity to serve their people.
For all intents and purposes, the designation of Nigeria as a country of particular concern must mean something for the ordinary people whose lives are being affected by the wanton killings. It should not just be another rhetoric on the pages of our screens and print media, and I am glad President Trump is making serious moves towards it.
I am particularly thrilled that President Trump’s statement is being backed by action and that the US Secretary of War is now on standby to mobilise soldiers into Nigeria. For far too long, the terrorists in Nigeria have been kidnapping and maiming innocent people whilst the Nigerian army stands by and watches.
The government of Nigeria, too, instead of dealing with this menace, is romancing the terrorists and allowing them to join the Nigerian army. What an abomination! To me, this is a national disgrace by the Nigerian government. It shows that the government of Nigeria is the real culprit of the crime and is creating a narrative to soothe their nefarious actions.
The Fulani are a deceptive people who stole Hausa lands in Northern Nigeria by stealth from the original landowners. They surreptitiously coveted all the Hausa kingdoms of Northern Nigeria into their emirate. They had hoped that they could replicate their achievements of coveting the Hausa land everywhere else in Nigeria.
However, they themselves have now realised that they have moved too fast and too soon. Yoruba, Igbo, and other ethnic nationalities in Southern Nigeria gave them a run for their money despite the humongous support they received from the Federal Government during the reign of Buhari.
We as Yoruba must come out with the full facts of the Nigerian situation to the President of the United State so that we can get the appropriate help we desire. We must ensure that President Trump is adequately informed to make the right decisions that will be a win for us all.
Nigeria is not supposed to be a nation, and even the British who amalgamated us know it. That is why they used the word amalgamation rather than union. The amalgamation was supposed to be in part and practice, and not necessarily the formation of a nation.
However, a lot of our Yoruba people who cannot see beyond their noses do not know what the amalgamation means. If they had known what we as Yoruba have lost because of the union of Southern and Northern Nigeria, I am very sure they would be the ones clamouring for our sovereign Yoruba nation.
The time has come in the history of our people where we must capitalise on the goodwill of the US President to achieve our Yoruba nation. The US doesn’t want to be bogged down in an endless war in the most populous black nation on earth. We must do everything within our power to ensure that the Yoruba nation gets the right support it deserves from the world’s powers.
Therefore, if we can present our case that the best thing that can happen for us as Yoruba is to have our own independent nation where we can secure our own borders. We would help in solving the conundrum of insecurity that we find ourselves in.
We need to make the US government aware that we are by far the largest trading nation with the US on the African continent, and it will do us Yoruba, and the US a great deal of good to partner together to create a win-win solution for all parties.
Other Articles
