Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has cautioned the Federal Government against intimidating the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, over his recent petition on the Yoruba nation.
Igboho had, on Saturday, submitted a 25-page petition to the office of UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, at 10 Downing Street, London, pushing for the recognition of a sovereign Yoruba nation.
In a statement personally signed by Igboho and made available to The PUNCH on Wednesday, the activist described the reported summoning of Montgomery by the Nigerian government as unnecessary, labelling it an attempt to pressure the diplomat.
He insisted that such moves would not derail the ongoing push for a Yoruba nation.
The statement read, “The British government colonised Nigeria, and we are well within our rights to submit a petition to them regarding our demand for a sovereign Yoruba nation. Nigeria gained independence on October 1, 1960, from the British government, but the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates in 1914 was a decision made by the British.”
Igboho argued that Yoruba people have a constitutional right to demand secession 100 years after the amalgamation, calling the union a “marriage of inconvenience.” .
“The main reason we submitted our letter to the UK government is to have them serve as a witness before the United Nations whenever the issue of the Yoruba nation is brought up at an international level,” the statement continued.He added that the standard response time for such official letters is around two weeks, suggesting that Prime Minister Starmer might not have even read the petition yet.
However, Igboho reassured the Yoruba people that the intimidation tactics of the Nigerian government would not deter the movement.
The statement added, “We remain committed to peaceful, non-violent, and legitimate methods of ensuring the birth of a Yoruba nation. Our people should stay calm and resolute, confident in our collective struggle for emancipation so that we can harness our great potential in a vibrant Yoruba nation once it is created out of the current Nigerian contraption.”
Igboho further stated that the summoning of Montgomery in Abuja would not halt the campaign, adding that he would not hesitate to rally global support for the cause.
“We will continue to seek international backing and bring our agenda before the global community,” the statement concluded.