Alaafin Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade I, and the Yoruba One Voice,YOV, have condemned the rise in killings and called for urgent restructuring
This stance was the highlight of an international virtual conference organised by YOV, themed “Sharia Law in Yorubaland: Setting Things Straight through Restructuring.”
The conference presided over by YOV Convener and Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, featured prominent Yoruba stakeholders, members of the YOV Global Coordinating Council, and the General Assembly from across several countries.
Guest lecturer, Prof. Oluwafemi Obayori, emphasised the need for the Yoruba to assess the proposed Sharia implementation within the realities of Nigeria’s insecurity and the growing cultural threat.
He noted that although Sharia law once existed among Islamic scholars in Ilorin and the old Oyo Empire, recent attempts have leaned toward extremism rather than faith-based justice.
He decried the proliferation of unregulated Sharia panels, attacks on traditional religion practitioners, and suppression of Isese festivals, describing them as a coordinated cultural offensive.
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Iba Gani Adams warned that introducing Sharia law would not enhance Yorubaland economically or politically, but could instead spark religious tension. He said the Yoruba people, without regional autonomy, may be forced to consider total liberation and self-rule.
YOV advocated a comprehensive constitutional review to return local government and resource control to regions, reduce federal burdens, and boost grassroots governance.
It also recommended that religious court systems remain voluntary, civil, and aligned with national human rights norms.
Technical adviser to YOV, Prof. Kolawole Raheem stressed that parallel legal systems could fuel extremism and worsen insecurity, as witnessed in other parts of the country.
YOV’s Secretary-General, Adedokun Ademiluyi urged the Yoruba to collaborate with like-minded ethnic groups, especially in the Middle Belt and South-South, to advance restructuring and regional security.
Meanwhile, Alaafin Owoade I, in his Easter message, urged Nigerians to unite against “blood guzzlers and enemies of the state,” warning that peace and stability are essential for development.
Guardian.ng
