A social media discussion has triggered alarm within the Yoruba community after a man from Kogi State, who identifies more with his Fulani heritage, made inflammatory remarks calling for Jihad due to the rejection of Sharia law in the Southwest.
During an X Space discussion titled “No Space for Hate Mongering in Nigeria,” SaharaReporters reports that the individual, identified as Abbey, stated, “It’s time for Jihad conversation to start,” raising serious concerns about his intent.
He accused Yoruba conservatives of intolerance toward Islam, alleging that the refusal to implement Sharia law in the Southwest is a direct attack on Muslim rights.
“When you now have a particular tribe… The Yoruba tribe fell so horribly. I don’t know where we got it wrong, but I am ashamed that I even have traces of Yoruba heritage,” he said, adding that the rejection of Sharia in the region is part of an agenda to ostracize Muslims.
“It is no longer a cruise; it is now very clear that there is an agenda to completely ostracise Muslims and Islam from southwest Nigeria. This is where Jihad’s conversation comes about,” he declared.
He further likened the situation of Muslims in the Southwest to that of Palestinians under Israeli occupation, stating, “You should know that you are now in a situation whereby you are not in any way better than the Palestinians and people in Gaza.”
Describing himself as an Okun man with a Fulani mother, Abbey emphasized that he aligns more with his Fulani roots.
He also warned that his remarks were only a prelude to what could unfold in the coming months.
“This is just a warning. Alaafin of Oyo is not someone that we cannot also drag, the Ooni of Ife is not somebody that we cannot drag,” he said, in what many have interpreted as a veiled threat to Yoruba traditional rulers.
Abbey also dismissed Yoruba’s political influence, stating he has no interest in their votes.
“If I ever come to you to ask for your votes, the hell with you and your votes. I don’t need the vote of Lagos, I don’t need the vote of Osun, I don’t even need whatever your so-called Yoruba conservatism has to offer, they are useless to me,” he declared.
His remarks, widely condemned as hate speech, have heightened concerns over ethnic and religious tensions in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Yoruba cultural groups have reiterated their opposition to the implementation of Sharia in the Southwest, stating that it is alien to their society and threatens peaceful coexistence.
The Independent Sharia Arbitration Panel in Ekiti recently held its first public sitting, sparking backlash from the Ekiti State Government, which clarified that its legal framework does not recognize such panels.
However, the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, insists that the initiative is constitutional.
The group has called on southern governors and traditional rulers to uphold the religious rights of Muslims in their domains.
In response, the Society for Yoruba Culture Renaissance accused the Sultan of attempting to incite a religious crisis, insisting that Sharia law should remain confined to regions where it is traditionally practiced.
