The letter, signed personally by him, was titled: “Urgent need to stop killings by Fulani Herdsmen in Yorubaland.
Adams wrote: “This is to bring to your attention ‘a clear and present danger’ threatening the fragile union of our great country, Nigeria.
“Senseless killings and massacre of Nigerians, almost on a daily basis, are tragically sliding toward an anarchical terminal point.
“The inability or apathetical attitude of the Federal Government, pitiably as it is, is already compounding an already gory situation.
“While you already know, through diplomatic sources and the media, what is going on in world’s most populous black nation, Nigeria, I want to urgently alert you that an agenda bordering on pogrom is gradually being executed in Yorubaland.”
The Yoruba generalissimo said in the letter that it is the duty of the global community to intervene and address the issue in an holistic manner, adding that statistics of prominent Yoruba people who have been murdered by these killer herdsmen and their collaborators have increased by the day
“Yorubaland has been put under serious pressure through payment of ransom – running into millions of naira – demanded by these conscienceless, unscrupulous and ruthless murderers.
“Now, the agitation for them to leave our land has reached an alarming crescendo and the backing (that is the belief of our people) given to them by the Federal Government to continue to lay claim to the fact that ‘nobody can chase anybody away from any part of the country’, is not helping matters.
“The peace, stability and tranquility of Yoruba people in this geographical space called Nigeria are being tested by blood-thirsty maniacs through invasion of our land.
“In our space, these herdsmen are accused daily of committing rape, kidnap and murder.
“The invasion of Igangan, a rural community in Ibarapaland, Oyo State on June 6, 2021, leading to the massacre of scores of residents by these same band of roving killers, who prefer to stay in the forest because of their murderous intent, seems to be the last straw.”Adams added.
Adams urged the global community to urgently intervene in the situation, saying the earlier the intervention, the better.
He said any crisis that happens in Nigeria may have a negative effect on the rest of the world.
He said: “It may happen soon because all the security establishments are already showing signs of virtual ineffectiveness.
“Your Excellencies, if something urgent is not done, these series of attacks will soon have a negative effect on Western countries’ investments in Nigeria.”
Apart from the Secretary General, United Nations, Chairperson of the African Union and Secretary of State of the United States, other organisations and countries that have received the letters include British Foreign Secretary, European Union member states and Economic Community of West African States.
Embassies, including Germany, Canadian, Italian, Japanese, Holland, Sweden, South African, Ghanaian, Togo and Benin Republic among others have also received the letter.
The full letter is reproduced below:
The Secretary General, United Nations (UN)
The Chairperson of the African Union (AU)
The Secretary of State, United States (U.S.)
British Foreign Secretary
European Union (EU) Member States
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
OTHERS
URGENT NEED TO STOP KILLINGS BY FULANI HERDSMEN IN YORUBALAND
Your Excellencies,
This is to bring to your attention ‘a clear and present danger’ threatening the fragile union of our great country, Nigeria.
Senseless killings and massacre of Nigerians, almost on a daily basis, are tragically sliding toward an anarchical terminal point.
The inability or apathetical attitude of the Federal Government, pitiably as it is, is already compounding an already gory situation.
While you already know, through diplomatic sources and the media, what is going on in world’s most populous black nation, Nigeria, I want to urgently alert you that an agenda bordering on pogrom is gradually being executed in Yorubaland.
For your information, Yorubaland – in Western Nigeria and some parts of North-Central and South-South – has a population of more than 60 million people.
Yoruba people are in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Kogi, Kwara, Edo and Delta States.
We are peace-loving people, believing in one Nigeria but sadly, that belief, today, is shaking, due to the invasion of our space by murderous killer herdsmen.
Today, the blood of innocent Yoruba men and women – the recent being the killing of scores of people in their sleep in Igangan, a rural community in Oyo State on June 6, 2021 – flows endlessly and those mandated to ensure protection of lives and property seem helpless. Or, according to popular belief, complicitous.
To begin to give statistics of prominent Yoruba people who have been murdered by these killer herdsmen and their collaborators will take too much space in this missive seeking your urgent intervention.
But, for emphasis, on July 12, 2019, between Kajola and Ore along the Ondo-Ore Expressway, Mrs. Funke Olakunrin, daughter of Yoruba leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, was murdered.
On November 26, 2020, a first class traditional ruler in Ondo State, the Olufon of Ifon, Oba Israel Adeusi, was murdered between Akure and Owo. The attackers came from the bush and shot him dead.
On December 11, 2020, a philanthropist who returned from overseas to help grow the Yoruba economy, Dr. Fatai Aborode, was tortured and killed in Igangan, Oyo State by people suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.
On January 18, 2021, Dr. Amos Arijesuyo, Deputy Registrar Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), was shot dead on the Ife-Ilesa-Akure Expressway.
The peace, stability and tranquility of Yoruba people in this geographical space called Nigeria are being tested by blood-thirsty maniacs through invasion of our land.
In our space, these herdsmen are accused daily of committing rape, kidnap and murder.
Some family members in Yorubaland have been put under serious pressure through payment of ransom – running into millions of naira – demanded by these conscienceless, unscrupulous and ruthless murderers.
Now, the agitation for them to leave our land has reached an alarming crescendo and the backing (that is the belief of our people) given to them by the Federal Government to continue to lay claim to the fact that ‘nobody can chase anybody away from any part of the country’, is not helping matters.
The invasion of Igangan, a rural community in Ibarapaland, Oyo State on June 6, 2021, leading to the massacre of scores of residents by these same band of roving killers, who prefer to stay in the forest because of their murderous intent, seems to be the last straw.
The patience of our people seems stretched to full limit because no one is safe anymore.
If not for the sake of conquest and murderous greed to grab land – as it is being done in Benue and some states in the North – what, I pray, will propel anyone or a group of killers to attack innocent residents of Igangan in the night, shooting them dead while sleeping?
The palace of the traditional ruler of Igangan, several houses and a petrol station were torched in this fit of lunacy.
When I was installed as the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland by the Alaafin of Oyo, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, I vowed to defend Yoruba people anywhere they may be in the world.
So, it is because of the psychopathic killings going on in our land that I’m writing this letter to you to please intervene in this murderous quagmire.
We have a situation in which the Federal Government appears overwhelmed and is fast losing grip of its constitutional mandate to protect the land.
Obviously, Nigeria is on the precipice, cascading downward in a dangerous and suicidal manner.
Words of wisdom seem to have taken flight.
Because we live in a global world, I am drawing your attention that any crisis that happens in Nigeria may have a negative effect on the rest of the world.
And it may happen soon because all the security establishments are already showing signs of virtual ineffectiveness.
Today, tens of millions of Nigerians, especially, Yoruba people, no longer have a sense of belonging.
Every attempt by our people to protect themselves against these marauders is being frustrated by the Federal Government.
When South-West governors mooted the idea of establishing the security network ‘Amotekun’ solely for the protection of our people, the Attorney-General and Justice Minister, Abubakar Malami (SAN), openly declared Federal Government’s opposition.
It is an understatement to declare that Justice has taken flight from the country. This singular tragedy has already compromised Nigeria’s existence because our people no longer belief in a system without fairness, equity and objectiveness.
You will recall that a former Chief of Army Staff and Defence Minister, Lt-Gen. T.Y. Danjuma, in May 2018, accused the military of collusion with bandits to kill innocent Nigerians.
Danjuma, a man who should know, said inter alia: “The Armed Forces are not neutral. They are conniving with bandits that kill people. They facilitate their movement. They cover them. Nigerians must defend themselves.”
The situation has got to a level in which some leaders of these killer herdsmen openly threaten governors who have banned open grazing, insisting there will be no peace unless Fulani herdsmen – armed with sophisticated weapons – are allowed to go from one state to the other.
In the process, farms are destroyed and farmers killed.
I want to say that nobody wants war but our people will not sit idle while they are being slaughtered like chickens.
I am raising this alarm because what is going on is provocative enough and the bubble may burst soon.
The North has enough land to accommodate the nomadic nature of Fulani herdsmen, so why come down south to destroy people’s farms?
Why, if not for ulterior motive, use the peripatetic and crude nature of the job to kidnap, kill and carry out criminal activities in forests?
Your Excellencies, if something urgent is not done, these series of attacks will soon have a negative effect on Western countries’ investments in Nigeria.
Please accept the assurances of my highest consideration.
Iba Gani Abiodun Ige Adams
15th Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland.
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