Yoruba Groups Petition UN, Warn of Impending Genocide in Nigeria
A coalition of over 130 Pan-Yoruba organizations has submitted a petition to the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, António Guterres, raising alarm over what they describe as an imminent genocide against the Yoruba people in Nigeria.
The petition, signed by Popoola Ajayi, General Secretary of the Alliance for Yoruba Democratic Movements (AYDM), alleges a coordinated plan by terrorist groups, including Fulani extremists and foreign-backed militants, to carry out mass attacks on Yoruba communities across Nigeria’s southwest region.
According to the AYDM, the recent killing of 15 Yoruba people—including women and children—in Oke-Ode, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, on September 17, 2025, is part of a broader campaign to violently overrun indigenous Yoruba territories.
“The United Nations Secretary General must act now. What is unfolding in Nigeria bears dangerous similarities to the Rwandan genocide,” the petition warned. “This is a struggle between indigenous peoples and terrorists, many of whom now control parts of Yoruba land.”
Historical and Ongoing Attacks Cited
The group claims that the Yoruba people have been subjected to over a century of violence, dating back to the 1804 Jihad. Recent incidents listed in the petition include:
The killing of four traditional rulers:
Oba Israel Adeusi (Olufon of Ifon),
Oba Olatunde Olusola (Onimojo of Imojo),
Oba David Ogunsona (Elesun of Esun), and
Oba Segun Aremu (Onikoro of Ikoro), who was a retired General.
His wife was reportedly kidnapped during the attack.
The bombing of St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, on June 10, 2022, which claimed 40 lives.
The attack was attributed to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
AYDM claims these events are part of a growing trend of violence targeting the Yoruba and other indigenous groups in Nigeria.
UN Intervention Demanded
In their letter, the coalition urged the UN to intervene in three key ways:
- Compel the Nigerian government to uphold the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which guarantees self-determination and human rights protections for indigenous communities.
- Call an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to address the crisis in Nigeria, with the aim of pushing for national restructuring and pathways to self-determination for Nigeria’s various ethnic nationalities.
- Investigate Ukraine’s alleged involvement in sponsoring terrorism in the Sahel. The petition cites statements by Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for Ukrainian military intelligence, claiming Ukraine is playing a role in Africa’s conflict zones. AYDM described this as deeply concerning and urged the UN to dissuade Ukraine from contributing to instability on the continent.
Warning of Wider Regional Consequences
The group warned that the ongoing violence in Nigeria, driven by terrorists and their foreign sponsors, threatens not only national but regional and global stability.
“At present, no fewer than five million Nigerians are either internally displaced or living in refugee camps due to terrorist violence,” the letter states. “It is regrettable that the UN has the capacity to prevent this but has so far remained inactive.”
Call to Prevent, Not React to Genocide
AYDM concluded by warning that time is running out, and that the international community must act before violence escalates further.
“We are a peace-loving people, but we will not stand by while our communities are destroyed. If the UN fails to act, it will bear part of the responsibility for the bloodshed to come,” said Popoola Ajayi.
The letter was jointly signed by leaders of various organizations including the O’odua Peoples Congress (various factions), O’odua Nationalist Coalition (ONAC), South West Professionals Forum (SOWPROF), Okun Peoples Association (OPA), Yoruba Artisans and Traders Association (YATA), and many others.
