Yoruba groups set referendum date for South-West region

Yoruba groups, organized under the Assembly of all Yoruba Groups Worldwide, have scheduled June 12, 2021, as a referendum date for the South-West region. During a meeting in Ibadan, the groups emphasized that the push for Yoruba self-determination is non-negotiable and called for regional restructuring to address escalating security threats.

Participants, including historian Prof. Banji Akintoye and lawyer Femi Falana, advocated for peaceful mobilization and the protection of Yoruba land. The groups urged South-West House Assemblies to pass resolutions on insecurity and requested that representatives in the Senate and House of Representatives move motions regarding the matter within 90 days.

In a related context regarding regional security, Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, has advocated for a decentralized regional security framework with command centers to combat terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping in the Southwest. This comes as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu moves to expand the Nigerian military framework by increasing the number of army divisions to twelve.