Featured

Igangan Massacre: Akintoye Calls on Yoruba to Defend Themselves, Says FG-backed Fulani Terrorists Has Declared War

Published

5 years ago

June 7, 2021

Eric

The apex leader of the umbrella body of Yoruba Self-Determination Groups, Ilana Omo Oodua, Emeritus Professor Banji Akintoye, has issued a red alert to the Yoruba people, saying that the early yesterday attack of the people of Igangan, Ibarapa Zone, Oyo State by the alleged Fulani Terrorists, is a declaration of war against the peace-loving Yoruba People.

Accusing the Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government of backing the Terrorist Herdsmen that have been maiming, killing and raping the Yoruba people and exterminating their properties, Akintoye, in a statement personally signed by him and made available to Newsmen on Monday by his Communications Manager, Mr. Maxwell Adeleye, called on the Yoruba people to arm themselves with whatever they can lay their hands upon to defend their land against external aggression.

While saluting Rotimi Akeredolu, the Governor of Ondo State who doubles as the Chairman of South West Governors Forum for his bold stand on the Igangan Massacre, Akintoye called on the South West Governors to put aside constitutional objections to defend their people, saying “Yoruba land has been surrounded, and we must act now”.

The renowned Historian said historically, the Yoruba people have never been conquered, urged the younger generation of Yoruba Nation never to surrender to any form of intimidation or harassment.

The second republic member of the Senate urged the Younger Yoruba people to rise to the occasion by coming out to defend their Land via technological, spiritual and physical warfares, warning that “the Fulani Herdsmen attack must never be allowed to succeed anywhere in Yoruba Land again”.

The full text of the statement, titled “Red Alert to Yoruba People at Home and In Diaspora, is reproduced below:

“The Alana and worldwide leader of Ilana Omo Oodua, Emeritus Professor ‘Banji Akintoye, on behalf of all patriotic and concerned Yoruba people, and in consultation, and collaboration with hundreds of self determination groups at home and in the Diaspora, express uttermost shock and horror at the news of the barbarous killings and destruction by Fulani and other terrorists upon our people at Igangan, Ibarapa area of Oyo State.

“While commiserating with our people in Igangan, we hereby issue a red alert to all Yoruba people at home and in the Diaspora.

“It must now be clear to all Yoruba people of all classes and economic circumstances that war has come in a big way to our homeland. This war has been coming relentlessly for five years, but some of our own people failed to understand the full intent and impact of it. Some have thought the answer is to do one constitutional or political thing to Nigeria and the war would go away. But we must now all know that such propositions concerning Nigeria are blatantly unrealistic.

“And indeed these endanger Yorubaland, the Yoruba people and the Yoruba civilization by diverting the attention of our people from the manifest reality of our time.

“We now call on all Yoruba people at home and abroad to focus on the danger of the moment in a manner that will be powerful enough to preserve our nation and civilization.

“First we call on our State Governors to push aside all the constitutional objections that have been constantly raised from certain quarters whenever our governors have taken measures to defend our people.

“We are particularly grateful to Governor Akeredolu of Ondo State and all other Governors who support him in the patriotic and manly statement that he has issued on the Igangan disaster.

“We repeat what we have said again and again that we will stand fully and powerfully behind our Governors in any measure that they may adopt to defend our people.

“We say to our state Governors your first constitutional duty is to ensure the security of life and property in our Yoruba states. In the face of that important task, constitutional and political finesse and obstructions are a danger to the lives and property of our people.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria, has failed woefully to protect the Yoruba people, along with other indigenous peoples of the Nigerian South and the middle belt against these invading, marauding forces.

“In fact when we consider all the behavior of the federal government in the face of this danger to the indigenous peoples and citizens of Nigeria, we can not avoid the conclusion that the federal government is a sponsor of the terror in our land.

“The federal government started by saying and doing nothing about the terrorism while apparently instructing the security agencies to do nothing to confront the terrorism.

“The federal government persistently gives to the wide world a false picture of the situation by claiming that everything is a product of climate change even as the Fulani insistently issues statements that their mission is to conquer and subdue all the indigenous peoples of Nigeria and forcefully take their land for Fulani folks from all over West Africa. And even as international terrorist organizations such as ISIS, Al Qaeda and even Al-shabab come to reinforce this Fulani terrorism all over Nigeria.

“While allowing the Fulani to move freely with and to import various categories of weapons into Nigeria, the federal Government prohibited the possession of any kind of fire arms by any indigenous citizens of Nigeria, sending the police and army to seize such privately owned weapons including those for which these citizens had earlier been licensed for hunting and sports.

“In the light of all the foregoing,
we call on all our governors to stop letting objections by federal officials to obstruct the defense of our peoples.

“We call on all Yoruba people to rise up as one to defeat this danger. We Yoruba have a proud history that we have never been conquered.

“Let us not succumb to conquest now. Let us thank the countless young people of our land who have been standing up against the invasion of our land.

“But let us now rise to do more than merely thanking them and rise to give them all the support they need to clear our land of all terrorists of all kinds.

“Let us show to the world that though we are a civilized and life respecting people, we are nevertheless a people supremely capable of defending our people and our homeland.

“The persistent Ilana Omo Oodua calls to arms of all Yoruba people on their farms, hamlets, villages, towns, cities and other communities must now be urgently activated with communal self defence systems, around their abodes and places of work.

“You must urgently install early warning alarms; human, manual, scientific or spiritual.

“Also the traditional and hi-tech defensive mechanisms must come into place.
Encourage and assist our young people to form dynamic teams that not only defend but attack the enemies wherever they have dug themselves into our forests and farmlands.

“Arm yourselves with whatever you can lay your hands upon, create or develop as individuals, and as communities to confront the enemy.

“Ensure they no longer succeed in their mission anywhere in Yorubaland. Our technology wizards are already putting together structures that will protect our land and destroy the enemy.

“To the elite of the Yoruba Nation, our businessmen and our professionals, we
Now appeal that you decide and take action to assist all the efforts outlined above.

“We remember with gratitude that when the COVID-19 crisis loomed all over the world in 2020, our businessmen quickly put together a fund amounting to billions of Naira to help fight the dreaded virus.

“We call on you now to do the same, to set up a large fund for the defense of our homeland and help with your expertise to set up the disbursement, management and auditing of the funds.

“The important goal must be that the funds be made to reach as quickly and adequately as possible all defensive and offensive groups and teams that demonstrate capabilities to produce quick and abiding results.

“We are Yoruba and we will prevail in this crisis. nd then we will go forth and manage our own sovereign Oduduwa nation to the admiration of all mankind- a land of security, opportunity and confident hope in prosperity for all our people and all peaceful and enterprising foreigners who come to our land.”

Copied

Featured

Presidency Releases Postings of Ambassadors-designate

Published

12 hours ago

March 6, 2026

Eric

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the postings of 31 career and 34 non-career ambassadors to various countries and the United Nations. The Senate confirmed the ambassadors-designate last December.

POSTINGS OF NON-CAREER AMBASSADORS / HIGH COMMISSIONERS
S/N NAME MISSION APPROVED

1. SENATOR GRACE BENT: LOME-TOGO

2. SEN. ITA ENANG: SOUTH AFRICA

3. IKPEAZU VICTOR: SPAIN

4. NKECHI LINDA UFOCHUKWU: TEL-AVIV, ISRAEL

5. MAHMUD YAKUBU: QATAR

6. PAUL OGA ADIKWU: THE VATICAN CITY HOLY SEE

7. VICE ADMIRAL IBOK-ETE EKWE IBAS: THE PHILIPPINES

8. MR. RENO OMOKRI: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO

9. HON. (ENGR.) ABASI BRAIMAH (FMHR): BUDAPEST, HUNGARY

10. MRS. ERELU ANGELA ADEBAYO: PORTUGAL

11. BARR. OLUMILUA OLUWAYIMIKA AYOTUNWA: TOKYO, JAPAN

12. RT. HON. UGWUANYI IFEANYI LAWRENCE: ATHENS, GREECE

13. BARR. CHIOMA PRISCILLA OHAKIM: WARSAW, POLAND

14. AMINU DALHATU: UNITED KINGDOM, UK

15. LT. GEN ABDULRAHMAN BELLO DAMBAZAU: BEIJING, CHINA

16. HON. TASIU MUSA MAIGARI: GAMBIA

17. OLUFEMI PEDRO: AUSTRALIA

18. BARR. MUHAMMED UBANDOMA ALIYU: ARGENTINA

19. LATEEF KAYODE ARE: USA

20. AMB. JOSEPH SOLA IJI: RUSSIA

21. SEN. JIMOH IBRAHIM: UN PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE

22. FEMI FANI KAYODE: GERMANY

23. PROF. ISAAK FOLORUNSO ADEWOLE: OTTAWA, CANADA

24. AJIMOBI FATIMA FLORENCE (F): AUSTRIA

25. MRS. LOLA AKANDE (F): SWEDEN

26. AYODELE OKE: FRANCE

27. YAKUBU N. GAMBO: SAUDI ARABIA

28. SENATOR PROF. NORA LADI DADUUT: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

29. BARR. ONUEZE CHUKWUJIKA JOE OKOCHA SAN: DUBLIN

30. DR. KULU HARUNA ABUBAKAR: TUNIS, TUNISIA

31. RT. HON. JERRY SAMUEL MANWE: PORT OF SPAIN, T&T

POSTINGS OF CAREER AMBASSADORS / HIGH COMMISSIONERS LIST
S/N NAME MISSION APPROVED

1. AMB. NWABIOLA EZENWA CHUKWUMEKA: COTE D’IV/OIRE

2. BESTO MAIMUNA IBRAHIM: NIAMEY-NIGER

3. MONICA OKWUCHUKWU ENEBECHI: SAO TOME, STP

4. AMB. MOHAMMED MAHMUD LELE: ALGIERS-ALGERIA

5. ENDONI SYNDOPH PAEBI: OUAGADOUGOU-BURKINA FASO

6. AHMED MOHAMMED MONGUNO: CAIRO EGYPT

7. AMB.JANE ADAMS (NEE OKON) MICHAEL (F): KINGSTON-JAMAICA

8. AMB. CLARK-OMERU ALEXANDRA (F): LUSAKA-ZAMBIA

9. CHIMA GEOGGREY LIOMA DAVID: BAMAKO-MALI

10. AMB. ODUMAH YVONNE EHINOSEN: MALABO –E/GUINEA

11. AMB WASA SEGUN IGE: BEIRUT, LEBANON

12. RUBEN ABIMBOLA SAMUEL (F): ROME, ITALY

13. AMB.ONAGA OGECHUKWU KINGSLEY: MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE

14. AMB.MAGAJI UMAR: KINSASHA, DR CONGO

15. AMB.MUHAMMAD SAIDU DAHIRU: NEW DELHI-INDIA

16. AMB. ABDUSSALAM HABU ZAYYAD: DAKAR-SENEGAL

17. AMB SHEHU ILU BARDE: ACCRA GHANA

18. AMB.AMINU NASIR: ETHIOPIA

19. ABUBAKAR MUSA MUSA: N’DJAMENA, CHAD

20. AMB. HAIDARA MOHAMMED IDRIS: THE HAGUE-NETHERLANDS

21. AMB.BAKO ADAMU UMAR: RABAT-MOROCCO

22. AMB. SULU GAMBARI OLATUNJI AHMED: MALAYSIA

23. AMB.ROMATA MOHAMMED OMOBOLANLE (F): TANZANIA

24. AMB. SHAGA JOHN SHAMAH: BOTSWANA

25. SALAU, HAMZA MOHAMMED: TEHRAN, IRAN

26. AMB.IBRAHIM DANLAMI: KENYA

27. IBRAHIM ADEOLA MOPELOLA (F): COTONOU-BENIN

28. AMB.AYENI ADEBAYO EMMANUEL: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM

29. AMB.AKANDE WAHAB ADEKOLA: BERNE-SWITZERLAND

30. AMB. AREWA (NEE ADEDOKUN) ESTHER (F): WINDHOEK-NAMIBIA

31. AMB.GERGADI JOSEPH JOHN: LIBREVILLE-GABON

32. AMB. LUTHER OGBOMODE AYO-KALATA (F): SIERRA LEONE

33. DANLADI YAKUBU NYAKU : KHARTOUM-SUDAN

34. BELLO DOGON-DAJI HALIRU: BANGKOK, THAILAND

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already received agrément from the United Kingdom for the High Commissioner-designate, Ambassador Aminu Dalhatu. Similarly, France has sent the agrément for Ambassador Ayo Oke.

The Ministry has also conveyed the nominations of the other 62 designated envoys to all the countries concerned, including a request for their agréments in line with standard diplomatic practice.

President Tinubu has directed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should immediately commence the induction programme for the ambassadors-designate and High Commissioners.

Bayo Onanuga,

Special Adviser to the President,

(Information and Strategy)

March 6, 2026.

Featured

Mike Ozekhome Celebrates Obasanjo at 89, Says Former President Wiser with Age

Published

16 hours ago

March 6, 2026

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

Constitutional and human rights lawyer, Prof Mike Ozekhome, has felicitated with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, as he Celebrates 89 years of life, saying the ex-head of state has grown wiser with age.

Ozekhome made the remarks in a birthday tribute he wrote, and made available to The Boss, stressing the octogenarian is a living legend and a human prodigy, among a catalogue of honours he bestowed on him.

Ozekhome’s full text of goodwill message is presented as follows:

“As Chief Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR, Ph.D, former military Head of State and later President, Commander-In- Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria marks his 89th birthday, it is proper to pay tribute to this remarkable living legend and human prodigy. My writeup on him at 87, two years ago was aptly titled, “OBJ, Please, Remain OBJ”. And he has remained true to himself – weaving, bubbling, speaking, traveling, lecturing and still dancing and playing football. What a homo sapien!

“Baba Obasanjo is a beacon of hope, a symbol of integrity, and a champion of Nigeria’s progress. His legacy as a distinguished elders statesman,uncommon leader, and irrepressible nation-builder is permanently etched on marble.His contributions to Nigeria’s growth and development are simply unquantifiable.

“I recall him singing my birthday song and cutting my birthday cake at ABUAD’s 10th Convocation Lecture 4 years ago after I delivered the Convocation lecture and received a doctorate degree (honoris causa) in law (LL.D). His achievements are simply ineffable, including military exploits, authorship of over 20 books, and an unwavering commitment to democracy and good governance.

“One cannot forget that OBJ played a major role when he accepted on behalf of Nigeria, the mantle of surrender by General Phillip Effiong on behalf of the Biafran army, thus ending a 30 months needless, bloody civil war that consumed over 3 million lives with attendant suffering and destitition. “Your wisdom, vision, and leadership are needed now more than ever,” I had written two years ago, describing him thus: ‘Please, OBJ, remain OBJ – a true icon, a guiding light, and a hero of our time.’

“Baba’s leadership has left an indelible mark on Nigeria, inspiring generations not only in Nigeria and Africa, but within the entire black race. As an international figure, his voice resonates even as his rare wisdom and experience are globally sought, leading to his epic position as Co-Chairman of the Inter-Action Council of former Heads of State and Government.

“Some of his many books, including “My Watch” and “The Art of Leading”, are loud testaments to his deep thinking and intellectual prowess.

“Very often, he speaks truth to power, advocating for justice, fairness, and equality for all, damning the consequences.

“OBJ’s life reminds us that we all have a role in shaping our country’s future.

“Seest thou a man blessed round and round by God in all ramifications; nurtured in humble beginnings, but attained the height of a living sage and deity? A man since inducted into the pantheon of heroes of modern day Nigeria, bestrididing the military, democratic and governance worlds of Nigeria? That is legendary OBJ.

“As Baba marks this 89th milestone birthday, I pray that God grants him many more years ( Gen 6:3) of good health, fulfillment, happiness, and peace that passeth all understanding ( Phil 4:7). Amen.”

Featured

Akinwumi Adesina Celebrates Obasanjo at 89

Published

1 day ago

March 5, 2026

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

Immediate Past President of African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has celebrated former President Olusegun Obasanjo, on his 89th birthday.

In the statement the former Minister of Agriculture signed on behalf of himself and his wife, he noted that Obasanjo is a man of wisdom, foresight, courage and boldness among other qualities.

The statement titled, Happy Birthday: President Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, at 89, is presented as follows, in full:

Today, we celebrate a man who walks across generations like a bridge between time and destiny – a leader whose credibility is unquestioned and whose respect knows no borders.

A man of wisdom, rich with insight. A man of courage, who steps boldly into the battlefields of ideas and argument, unafraid to speak, unafraid to stand, unafraid to be counted.

In the public square he cannot be silenced. He does not merely ruffle feathers – he pulls them out, speaking truths that are sometimes uncomfortable, yet always necessary, driven by an unwavering devotion to truth, equity, and justice.

Disciplined in thought. Disciplined in action. Disciplined in judgment.

When conflict rises and storms gather over nations, the world turns to voices of wisdom— and among those voices uniquely stands President Obasanjo.

A leader who dares to walk where others hesitate. A man who speaks to the mighty without fear and lifts the weary without condescension— challenging the powerful to do what is right, while urging the humble never to lose hope.

An indefatigable spirit, whose optimism refuses to drown in the tides of despair, rising ever higher with a familiar refrain echoing across years: “We will get it right.”

A defender of the weak. A reconciler of enemies.

A soldier who walked through the fires of war and emerged a builder of peace, a bridge for peace, a reconciler of differences, and a defender of the weak.

The Yoruba adage reminds us: “An elder cannot stand in the marketplace and watch the head of a baby slump on the back of its mother.”

Baba Obasanjo is an elder among elders. He will not only warn the mother to secure the child— he will help her do it. And if the knot still loosens, he will do what only the truly responsible elder does: lift the child himself and carry the infant upon his own back.

A man whose memory is sharp as history itself— remembering dates, details, and moments with the precision of a living archive.

And yet, beyond titles and offices, beyond uniforms and presidential seals, he remains something greater:

A father not only to his own, but to many. To a nation. To a continent.

The Baba of Africa. The Baba of the world.

Today, as you turn 89, we celebrate not only the years you have lived but the lives you have touched, the conflicts you have calmed, and the courage you have inspired.

May God continue to grant you strength, health, and vitality.

May your voice remain strong, your wisdom undimmed, your presence a guiding light for generations yet unborn.

For in the long march of time, you stand as one of its wisest elders.

The timeless Baba.
Happy 89th Birthday.
Hearty congratulations!

Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, CON, C.G.H. (‘Akin 45’) and Grace Oluyemisi Adesina (“Yemisi 55”)