There’s Silent War in The forests of Yorubaland:  Rise Before Our land Falls

Written By Idowu Ephraim Faleye – 08132100608

To:
Chief Olu Falaye, Pa Fasoranti, Gen. Alani Akinrinade,

Chief Bisi Akande, Aremo Olusegun Osoba,

Chief Okoya Thomas, Sir Adebutu Kessington, Chief Pius Akinyelure,

Chief Afe Babalola, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN),

Ooni of Ife, Awujale of Ijebu, Alake of Egba, Oba Tejuoso of Okeona, Oba Akinolu of Lagos,

And Every Heartbeat that Carries the Weight of Yoruba Heritage:

This is not just another letter. This is a scream soaked in fear, anger, and heartbreak—a desperate wail from a people slowly being strangled by terror. The forests of Yorubaland—once green with peace and abundance—have turned into the devil’s camp of Fulani herdsmen kidnappers. Our farmers are no longer safe on their farms or in their homes. Traders vanish on highways, and our children are snatched from their schools. We are bleeding from wounds too deep to see, and every passing day cuts deeper. Yorubaland is under siege.

Baba Olu Falaye, you carry the memory of these horrors in your flesh. Your ordeal at the hands of these kidnappers—the fear, the helplessness, the trauma—mirrors the suffering of thousands. Your survival was a miracle. But what about the hundreds who never returned? What about those who scream into the void of the night and find no rescue? Our mothers now whisper prayers before walking to the farm, unsure if they will return. Our fathers are reduced to beggars at the mercy of kidnappers. This isn’t a temporary crisis—it’s a silent war.

Read Also: Kidnapping in Nigeria: A National Emergency That Demands Immediate Action

Kabiyesi Ooni of Ife, as the ancestral head of the Yoruba people, your voice carries the weight of centuries. Yet, even your sacred throne cannot shield our communities from this scourge. How many more must be dragged into the forests before we say “enough”? We have waited. We have watched. And now, we cannot afford to be silent. It is time to shake the land with our voices. The time has come for all Yoruba leaders—traditional and political—to rise as one and shake the president from his silence, not with protocol, but with pain.

Kidnapping in Nigeria has evolved into a national emergency. These kidnappers are not just faceless criminals. They are trained foreign mercenaries from Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, masquerading as herdsmen. They have occupied our forests, established camps, and operated with military precision. Thousands have been taken. A 2022 report by SBM Intelligence revealed over 3,000 kidnappings in a single year, most of which occurred in the Southwest. These criminals do not discriminate. They target princes and paupers. Ransoms have driven families into poverty. Children, whose only “crime” is being born in a region now synonymous with fear, are now afraid to dream. And what did the previous government do but offer us excuses wrapped in bureaucracy? “Farmer-herdsmen clashes” is the neutral term they use to camouflage the extermination unfolding in our villages.

Today, with a Yoruba president in office, we expected urgency. President Tinubu, our kinsman, has the power to act. Yet, while he builds bridges and announces reforms, his homeland is sinking. Satellite technology like NigerSat-1 lies idle, while kidnappers carve territories in our forests and turn them into war zones. Security agencies cling to outdated tactics, ignoring tools that could map hideouts and intercept ransom networks. Families negotiate ransoms through mobile networks that are trackable by telecom companies. Banks process cash deposits for kidnappers without blinking—hundreds of millions in ransom funds used to acquire more weapons, unleash more terror, and breed more despair.

Read Also: The Alarming Rise of Fulani Militias in the South and the Inaction of Southern Leaders

There are billions saved from the fuel subsidy removal, which could fund drones, intelligence hubs, and community surveillance to save lives—yet our leaders hesitate. This is not just a failure of strategy. It is betrayal. Betrayal of the trust we placed in a Yoruba presidency. Betrayal of generations past who fought for freedom. Betrayal of those yet to come. We will not forgive a silence that enables our destruction.

Governors of the Southwest, rise beyond party lines. Unite. Your people need action, not handshakes. Pool resources. Fortify Amotekun. Fly drones over the forests. Create an interstate security force that does not wait for Abuja’s nod.

Our monarchs, you are not observers in this storm. Your palaces must roar. Let every abduction, every murder, every razed farm be recorded. Let every drop of blood be documented and presented to President Tinubu as evidence of this silent war. The delegation to Aso Rock must be led by the Ooni of Ife, the Awujale, and the Alake—monarchs whose authority even the president cannot ignore. March to the Villa not with courtesy, but with fury.

Read Also: The Trend of Insecurity in Nigeria. [Part 1]

Lawmakers, your role is critical. Let your chambers burn with urgency. Push for laws empowering Amotekun to bear sophisticated weapons and operate beyond state lines. Demand a state of emergency in our forests, authorizing military operations akin to those against Boko Haram. Pass laws that make kidnapping a one-way ticket to justice. The National Assembly must legislate harsh penalties for kidnapping, including the death penalty, and expedite trials to ensure justice. No more endless adjournments. No more loopholes. Only justice.

And for our elder statesmen—Pa Fasoranti, your daughter’s murder by these same criminals remains an open wound, and her blood cries out. Chief Afe Babalola, Chief Wole Olanipekun—your legal prowess can challenge the Federal Government’s inaction in court. This is your charge. The time to speak is now.

Aremo Olusegun Osoba, Chief Bisi Akande—your words once shaped the APC. Use that voice again. Use your political influence to mobilize the APC machinery to prioritize security in the Southwest—or history will count your silence as complicity.

Read Also: The Trend of Insecurity in Nigeria. [Part 2]

Oba of Lagos, Chief Okoya Thomas, Sir Adebutu Kessington, Chief Pius Akinyelure—your closeness to the president is not just a privilege; it is a responsibility. Your proximity to the president’s inner circle makes you indispensable in breaking through his crowded schedule. Remind him that history remembers leaders not by their promises, but by their resolve in crisis. Tell him that progress built on bones will collapse.

This is a defining moment. We have a Yoruba president today. Tomorrow may never come—a six-year window that may not reopen for decades. If we squander this window, we will leave a cursed inheritance. Future generations will inherit a land stripped of its dignity. Farmers will abandon their fields. Students will flee their schools. Investors will shun our economy. The blood of the innocent will forever stain President Tinubu’s legacy.

To President Tinubu: Your kinsmen are bleeding. The same forests that sheltered you during the struggle for democracy now shelter predators. Your achievements—economic reforms and infrastructure projects—will mean nothing if Yorubaland becomes a graveyard. You cannot build a nation on bones.

Deploy the military. Equip Amotekun. Clean the telecom system. Track ransom flows. Use the satellites. Use our savings. Use your office. Or watch Yorubaland bleed into oblivion. Act now—or your tenure will be remembered not for progress, but for peril.

To all Yoruba leaders: The night is deep, the hour is late, and dawn is not guaranteed. The enemy is no longer knocking—they are inside, disguised as herders. Time to unite, not divide. Break the silence. Visit the president. Confront the governors. Mobilize the people.

Oduduwa is watching. History is waiting. Let us not be remembered as the generation that folded its arms while its homeland fell. Let our unity be our weapon. The land of Oduduwa must not fall.

Idowu Faleye is the founder and publisher of EphraimHill DataBlog, a platform committed to Data Journalism and Policy Analysis. With a strong background in Public administration and Data Analytics, his articles offer research-driven insights on Politics, governance and Public Service delivery