The Yoruba Nation Group, United Kingdom Chapter, has written an urgent appeal to the Speaker of the House of Commons, Rt. Hon. Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, calling on the UK Government to use its diplomatic influence to address ongoing human rights concerns in Nigeria and support the Yoruba self-determination movement.
In a letter dated on May 17, 2025, and copied to key figures including the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, the Leader of His Majesty’s Opposition, and other party leaders, Gbola Adewunmi, speaking on behalf of the Yoruba National Youth UK, condemned what it described as “colonial-era impunity” by Nigeria’s security forces.
The group warned that these forces have now been “dangerously infiltrated by extremists and terrorists.”
“Peaceful protest is not a crime; it is a right,” the letter emphasised, pointing out that even Nigeria’s “deeply flawed” constitution recognises the right to peaceful assembly.
The group demanded that the UK Government push the Nigerian authorities to cease any form of repression against pro-democracy and self-determination campaigners and instead initiate a meaningful dialogue with Yoruba leaders, specifically the Yoruba Self-Determination Movement led by Prof. Banji Akintoye.
Furthermore, the Yoruba National Youth UK proposed the suspension of all non-essential diplomatic and family-related visas for Nigerian government officials and their relatives.
The group also called for the cancellation of existing visas for all current and former political officeholders and their families, as a means to pressure the Nigerian government into engaging in sincere negotiations aimed at ending what they described as “an unfruitful and abusive union.”
The statement read,”l am writing once again to follow up on my earlier correspondence, in which I raised serious concerns regarding the Yoruba people’s quest for self-determination and the UK’s historical and current engagement with Nigeria as a Yoruba-British citizen.
“I regret to note that my previous letter has received no acknowledgement, leaving the impression that my contribution was considered too inconsequential to merit a response.”
According to the group, “His Majesty the King has had an audience with the President of Nigeria following receipt of our (Yoruba National Youth) first letter to him on 22 June 2024, copies of which were also sent to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister himself has since held a conversation with the Nigerian President, as reported on the official Gov.uk platform. Yet despite these high-level engagements, there remains a conspicuous absence of any outreach or recourse to the leadership of the Yoruba Self-Determination Movement (YSDM).
“Let me be unequivocal: the situation in Nigeria today is not merely an environmental issue, such as the greenhouse effect. What we are witnessing is a systematic and brutal campaign. Armed Fulani herders enter farms to destroy crops and provoke indigenous farmers, followed by heavily armed Fulani terrorists who attack, kill, and forcibly displace entire communities.”
Gbola stated, “The objective is simple and chilling: to seize land and erase ancestral claims. These acts are not random; they form part of a sustained and orchestrated pattern, and it is not restricted to the North anymore, but also the terror is in our Yoruba land.
“According to unofficial reports, there are over seventy (70) terror cells in and around the Yoruba forest. Military bases are being overrun by the terrorists, or should we say handed over.
The group siad that the current president suspended an elected governor of a state in deference to a serving minister in his cabinet, who presents himself (Minister) as the godfather of the said state.
They noted that the current political class are as bad as the Boko Haram/Fulani terrorists.
The Yoruba National Youth acknowledged that Nigeria is a failed country on the verge of implosion.
“No amount of benefits derived from its natural and human resources will compensate for the unmitigated disaster that a spill over into the entire Western African region would cause to the U. K. and the world at large, if the nations currently trapped in the nightmare are not allowed to self-determine peacefully.
“I find it deeply troubling that former President Muhammadu Buhari continues to enter the United Kingdom freely, despite clear documentation of human rights violations and his covert and overt actions to empower the terrorists and the well corro borated reports that he was involved in the genesis of the problem.
“During the #EndSARS protests, his first public statement insinuated that young protesters intended to overthrow him, a claim that immediately preceded the military’s use of lethal force. Under his regime, individuals labelled as “repentant terrorists” were not only released back into the communities they terrorised but, alarmingly, some were absorbed into the country’s security services,” they stated.
Gbola explained that many of them later rejoined terrorist cells.
“The head of the DSS, Nigeria’s intelligence agency, even issued a public statement effectively telling communities to “help themselves,” acknowledging the state’s inability, or unwillingness, to protect its citizens.
“Meanwhile, I argued in favour of a strong, independent government during the last UK election, and I discouraged those who believed that foreign issues or crises should unduly influence our democratic processes. I have always maintained that UK elections must be decided on internal, national considerations.
“However, the tepid response of the current government to matters like these has left me questioning whether the government’s inaction has undermined my position,” the statement said.
It said, “I respectfully urge you, Mr. Speaker, and the entire House, to request a detailed and up-to-date intelligence briefing from the relevant security services on the Nigerian situation. The UK Government’s own Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) currently advises against travel to large parts of Nigeria, designating the majority of the country as unsafe. This alone should prompt a more profound reassessment of our policy approach.
“Furthermore, I must inform you that the Yoruba people, both at home and in the diaspora, will be coming out to rally peacefully in support of our right to a Self-Determined and Independent Yoruba Nation.
“We call upon the UK Government and this House to use their diplomatic influence to urge the Nigerian Government and its security agencies, who are still operating with colonial-era impunity and now dangerously infiltrated by extremists/terrorists, not to harm our people. Peaceful protest is not a crime; it is a right, one acknowledged even by Nigeria’s deeply flawed constitution and legal system.
“Finally, we reiterate our demand that:
HM Government and Parliament should use their influence to encourage the Nigerian Government to engage in dialogue with the leadership of the Yoruba Self Determination Movement, led by Prof. Banji Akintoye.
The statement continues, “All non-essential diplomatic and family-related visas for Nigerian government officials and their relatives are to be suspended. The cancellation of visas for all present and past political office holders and their family members is proposed as an incentive to participate in the dialogue to find a pathway to the dissolution of an unfruitful and abusive union.
“The immediate cessation of all UK military and police aid to Nigeria, as these institutions have been compromised.
“We remain committed to peaceful, legal advocacy and implore the House of Commons to address these urgent matters with the seriousness they deserve. The United Kingdom must not be seen, either in action or in silence, as enabling terror or ignoring justice,” they added.
