A recent online discussion has sparked controversy within the Yoruba community after an Okun man from Kogi State, identified as Abbey, made inflammatory remarks about Yoruba people rejecting Sharia law. Abbey, who claims stronger ties to his Fulani heritage, asserted that Yoruba Muslims are being oppressed because the Southwest has not implemented Sharia law.
During an X Space discussion titled “No Space for Hate Mongering in Nigeria,” he declared, “It’s time for Jihad conversation to start,” raising concerns about his intent. Abbey alleged that Yoruba non-Muslims are intolerant and that there is an agenda to suppress Islam in the region.
He criticized Yoruba conservatives, stating, “When you now have a particular tribe… Yoruba tribe fell so horribly. I don’t know where we got it wrong but I am ashamed that I even have traces of Yoruba heritage.” He also accused Yoruba leaders of promoting anti-Islamic sentiment, saying, “It is unfortunate that the people we have even been putting our eyes on as being the most tolerant in terms of religion are very far from it.”
Abbey claimed that Yoruba non-Muslims are “the most intolerant human beings in all ramifications,” particularly conservatives who, according to him, exist only on social media. He further accused Yoruba elites of trying to marginalize Muslims, stating, “It is no longer a cruise; it is now very clear that there is an agenda to completely ostracize Muslims and Islam from southwest Nigeria.”
He then justified discussing jihad, arguing that Muslims’ rights to practice Islam are under threat. “This is where Jihad conversation comes about… Your right to practise your religion is being threatened. That is why you are admonished, that is the only thing you should fight.”
Abbey likened the struggles of Yoruba Muslims to Palestinians under Israeli occupation, saying, “You should know that you are now in a situation whereby you are not in any way better than the Palestinians and people in Gaza.” He claimed that Yoruba people want to “ostracize you and your religion simply because they are either too uninformed or the level of their Islamophobia cannot just be helped anymore.”
Declaring that he identifies more with his Fulani roots, Abbey dismissed Yoruba identity, stating, “Like I said, I am not a Yoruba man, I’m an Okun man… My mother is Fulani. In fact, I identify more with my Fulani heritage.” He warned that his statements were just the beginning of more actions in the coming months.
He also attacked Yoruba traditional rulers, saying, “This is just a warning. Alaafin of Oyo is not someone that we cannot also drag, the Ooni of Ife is not somebody that we cannot drag.” Abbey dismissed Yoruba political influence, stating, “If I ever come to you to ask for your votes, the hell with you and your votes.” He also expressed disinterest in Yoruba conservatism, saying, “If I want to contest election, I will contest in Kogi. My Okun people, we don’t discriminate.”
Abbey portrayed himself as a defender of Muslim rights and insisted that discussions about Islam in Yorubaland should not be taken lightly. He asserted, “I think if we want to have a very decent conversation… it has now gone beyond cruise when the lives and religion of a group of people are being threatened on their own soil.”
He argued that Yoruba society seeks to turn Muslims into second-class citizens and vowed to resist it. “Some groups of people want to turn their fellow countrymen and tribesmen into second-class citizens in their fatherland because they practise a certain religion. It shouldn’t be taken for a joke; no agenda should even be tolerated.”
Abbey further condemned Yoruba criticism of the Sultan of Sokoto, saying, “You could see what they are doing to the Sultan of Sokoto, the president of the NSCIA… where you have a bunch of vagabonds, a bunch of sub-literates, untrained, uncircumcised Yoruba nation terrorists… unleashing all sorts of unprintable names on the person and office of the Sultan.” He argued that Christian leaders are not attacked similarly, stating, “You will never see any northern question why the CAN (Christian Association of Nigeria) president is meddling in the affairs of Hausa Christians, Fulani Christians, Kanuri Christians.”
His remarks have been widely condemned as hate speech and a threat to Nigeria’s ethnic and religious harmony.
In response, a Yoruba cultural group, the Society for Yoruba Culture Renaissance, rejected calls for Sharia law in Oyo, Ekiti, and other southwestern states. In a statement to SaharaReporters, the group emphasized that Sharia is “alien to Yoruba society” and could disrupt peaceful coexistence among religious groups.
The controversy follows the establishment of an Independent Sharia Arbitration Panel in Ekiti, which recently held its first public sitting at the Oja Oba Central Mosque in Ado-Ekiti. The Ekiti State Government clarified that its legal system does not recognize such panels.
However, the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), led by the Sultan of Sokoto, argued that Sharia panels are constitutional under Section 275 of the 1999 Constitution. The NSCIA urged southern governors to respect the rights of Muslims.
The Society for Yoruba Culture Renaissance countered that Sharia law is a cultural practice suited to predominantly Muslim societies, which does not apply to Yorubaland. The group also accused the Sultan of attempting to incite religious tensions in the region.
This debate highlights growing tensions over religious and legal traditions in Nigeria, with some advocating for Sharia expansion and others firmly opposing its introduction in non-Muslim areas.
