The quest by the South West zone of Nigeria to exist as soverign Yoruba nation known as Oduduwa Republic has received a major push following a formal petition to the British government for support.
The chief protagonist of the Yoruba separatist movement, Sunday Adeyemi, popularly known as Sunday Igboho took the big step of seeking external support on Sunday, October 13, 2024.
The spokesperson of the activist, Olayomi Koiki, announced the new development in a post on his X handle, saying that Igboho submitted the petition on behalf of Adebanji Akintoye, leader of the Yoruba Nation movement.
“At exactly 14:00 hrs Dr Chief Sunday Igboho delivered a petition to UK Prime Minister on behalf of Prof Adebanji Akintoye leader of the Yoruba Nation movement and Olayomi Koiki his spokesman @ 10 Downing Street,” Koiki said.
Though Koiki did not disclose the exact content of the petition submitted to PM Keir Starmer, it is believed that Igboho with his fellow activsts is seeking the support of the UK government for the birth of Oduduwa Republic.
The United Kingdom was the colonial master of Nigeria and was behind the amalgamation of the northern and southern halves of Nigeria to form a sovereign entity in 1914.
Since after the marriage of convenience and even after Nigeria gained its independence in 1960, the UK has continued to exert overt and covert influence on its highly priced former colony. This may have informed the move by the Yoruba Nation promoters to seek British support to help their cause.
The former colonial master has been doing everything possible to prop up the wobbling contraption and was instrumental to the defeat of Biafra in the brutal civil war (1967-70) fought to keep Nigeria one.
Igboho was arrested in July 2021 alongside his wife, Ropo, in Cotonou, Benin Republic, while fleeing to Germany and was detained at the request of the Nigerian government.
The Yoruba Nation agitator was running for his life after by the Department of State Services (DSS) raided his home in Ibadan, the capital city of Oyo state capital, on July 1, 2021.
Though Igboho escaped arrest during the raid, two people believed to be Yoruba Nation activists were killed while 12 of his aides were arrested.
In explaning the reasons for the raid, the DSS had alleged that Igboho was stockpiling weapons, ostensibly for use in actualising his separatist agenda.
The federal government made spirited attempts, albeit fruitless, to have Igboho repatriated to Nigeria after his arrest by the government of Benin Republic.
Igboho was subsequently arraigned at the Court D’Apeal in Cotonou and was detained in a prison facility in the neighbouring country.
He was charged with arms smuggling, inciting violence and calling for a secession of the Yoruba from the Nigerian state.
Igboho eventually regained his freedom in 2023 following the intervention of notable Yoruba personalities, including former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, with discreet backing of South West governors.