Yoruba nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, widely known as Sunday Igboho, has called on the Nigerian government to refrain from intimidating the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, following the submission of his petition regarding the Yoruba nation.
The petition, which was sent to the British Prime Minister’s office at 10 Downing Street, seeks international recognition of a sovereign Yoruba nation.
On Saturday, Igboho submitted a 25-page petition to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, calling for attention to the growing demands for the secession of the Yoruba people from Nigeria.
Igboho stated that the petition aims to secure British recognition and involvement in the matter, especially given the UK’s historical ties to Nigeria.
In a statement released on Wednesday and signed by Igboho, he expressed concern over reports that the Nigerian government had summoned Montgomery to discuss the petition.
Igboho viewed this as an unnecessary and pressure-filled move, intended to intimidate the British diplomat. He emphasized that such tactics would not slow down the efforts of the Yoruba nation agitators.
The statement read, “The British government colonised Nigeria, and we are well within our rights to submit a petition to them regarding our demand for a sovereign Yoruba nation. Nigeria gained independence on October 1, 1960, from the British government, but the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates in 1914 was a decision made by the British.”
Igboho argued that Yoruba people have a constitutional right to demand secession 100 years after the amalgamation, calling the union a “marriage of inconvenience.”
“The main reason we submitted our letter to the UK government is to have them serve as a witness before the United Nations whenever the issue of the Yoruba nation is brought up at an international level,” the statement continued.
The statement added, “We remain committed to peaceful, non-violent, and legitimate methods of ensuring the birth of a Yoruba nation. Our people should stay calm and resolute, confident in our collective struggle for emancipation so that we can harness our great potential in a vibrant Yoruba nation once it is created out of the current Nigerian contraption.”
