Kogi jihadist threatens Yoruba nation over rejection of Sharia law, calls for jihad in Yorubaland

A recent online discussion has ignited serious concerns within the Yoruba community after an Okun man from Kogi State, who identifies more with his Fulani heritage, has call jihad on the Yoruba people.

During an X Space discussion titled “No Space for Hate Mongering in Nigeria,” the individual, identified as Abbey, suggested that it was time to start a “Jihad conversation” over the Yoruba people’s rejection of Sharia law in the South West region.

He argued that the rights of Muslims to practice Islam are being threatened due to the rejection of Sharia law by the Yoruba, accusing non-Muslim Yoruba individuals of being intolerant, especially those who identify as conservatives.

He said the rejection of Sharia law and the mistreatment of Muslims in the South West had led to a crisis of religious exclusion, prompting him to call for discussions about Jihad, a concept he argued was necessary when a community’s right to practice their religion was being denied.

Abbey’s comments, which also included criticisms of Yoruba leaders and their alleged Islamophobic tendencies, claimed that Muslims in the Southwest were facing a plight akin to the Palestinians in Gaza.

He lamented the treatment of Muslims in the region, suggesting that their condition was being worsened by the intolerance of the Yoruba people.

Identifying himself as an Okun man with a Fulani mother, Abbey made it clear that he identified more with his Fulani heritage.

He expressed disdain for the Yoruba, especially those he considered responsible for undermining the Muslim community’s rights in the region. He also implied that he would not rely on Yoruba votes in future elections, claiming that he didn’t need their support, particularly from Lagos or Osun.

According to reports from The Yoruba Times, Abbey’s inflammatory remarks have been widely condemned as hate speech and a threat to Nigeria’s ethnic and religious harmony. His words come at a time when the controversy surrounding the implementation of Sharia law in South West Nigeria has reached new heights.

The Society for Yoruba Culture Renaissance recently rejected the establishment of Sharia panels in states such as Oyo and Ekiti, stating that such laws are alien to Yoruba society and could destabilize religious harmony.

According to reports, the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, led by the Sultan of Sokoto, has backed the right of Muslims to practice their religion, calling for the protection of Muslims’ constitutional rights in southern Nigeria.

However, this has led to further tension, with local groups accusing the Sultan of attempting to provoke religious unrest in the region.