The leader of the umbrella body of the Yoruba self-determination group (Ilana Omo Oodua), Professor Banji Akintoye, on Thursday said the agitation of the group was to renegotiate the country for the betterment of the incoming generation.
He tasked Yoruba people to rise in defence of their ancestral lands against usurpation by the herders under any guise.
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The professor of history spoke in Ibadan, Oyo State capital during the 135th anniversary of Kiriji Peace Treaty organised by Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) and Yoruba Assembly at the House of Chiefs, Oyo State secretariat.
“There is no difference or disagreement between those who want to restructure and those seeking self-determination,” he said.
The Yoruba leader, who was represented by Dr Tunde Hamzat, said Nigerians must stand against bloodshed.
According to Akintoye, “Criminal herders are already in our land. Let us guide our lands against any form of usurpation. No single group can handle it. Don’t fight anyone opposing your position. Though Ilana Omo Oodua does not oppose IPOB, we don’t want bloodshed.”
Earlier in his remark, the chairman of Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG), Wale Oshun, lamented that growing insecurity had forced majority of farmers to abandon their farmlands, thereby causing astronomical rise in prices of food items.
