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Yoruba Union Accuses Bola Ahmed Tinubu Of Shielding Fulani Extremists As Traditional Rulers Are Killed, Kidnapped Across Southwest, Kwara, Kogi
Those who keep mute when they are supposed to talk may end up in the hands of these Fulani extremists if they fail to call those who are saddled with responsibility to secure Yoruba land
Ikeja, Lagos State– The Yoruba socio-cultural group, Ìgbìnmó Májékóbájé Ilé-Yorùbá, has accused Bola Ahmed Tinubu of aiding and emboldening Fulani extremists amid a wave of killings and kidnappings targeting Yoruba traditional rulers across Kwara, Ondo, Ekiti, Oyo, Osun, and Ogun states.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the Union’s Convener, Olusola Badero, and released by its Home Director, Princess Balogun, the group alleged that many traditional rulers have been murdered under Tinubu’s watch while the President looks away and remains conveniently silent.
“Many of our traditional rulers have been killed under Tinubu’s watch by Fulani extremists,” the statement said. “Yet the President appears satisfied, even when his own kinsmen are being slaughtered and abducted.”
The Union specifically condemned the extrajudicial killing of Oba Kehinde Faledun, who was reportedly abducted from his palace in Ondo State and killed by suspected Fulani herdsmen on February 18, 2026.
According to the group, the monarch was attacked within the sacred confines of his palace — a place traditionally regarded as inviolable.
“It is a sacrilege of the highest order that a Yoruba monarch would be butchered in his own palace,” the Union said.
“Despite being a Yoruba man by tribe, Tinubu has failed to acknowledge the killings of our traditional rulers. Never did he condemn it or order the security agencies to fish out those who perpetrated the kidnappings and killings.”
The group also revisited the 2019 killing of Funke Olakunrin, daughter of Afenifere leader Reuben Fasoranti, who was shot dead in Ondo State.
The Union recalled that when Tinubu paid a condolence visit to Fasoranti, he allegedly questioned the narrative surrounding the killing.
“Surprisingly, when Tinubu went to visit Pa Fasoranti for condolences, he publicly asked, ‘Where are the cows?’ when he was told that it was Fulani herdsmen who waylaid her and killed her,” the statement claimed.
The Union described the remark as deeply insensitive and dismissive of the gravity of Fulani extremist violence.
Ìgbìnmó Májékóbájé Ilé-Yorùbá recounted the January 29, 2024 ambush in Ekiti State in which two traditional rulers — the Onimojo of Imojo Ekiti, Oba Olatunde Samuel Olusola, and the Elesun of Esun Ekiti, Oba David Babatunde Ogunsola — were reportedly killed by suspected Fulani herdsmen while returning from a meeting.
“The third traditional ruler, the Alara of Ara-Ekiti, Oba Adebayo Fatoba, escaped the attack. He would have been killed too,” the group stated.
The Union described the attack as a calculated assassination of Yoruba heritage.
The group further detailed the February 1, 2024 invasion of the palace of the Olukoro of Koro in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, where Oba Peter Segun Aremu was killed.
According to the Union, the monarch was murdered in his palace while settling down for dinner after returning from a security meeting at the council secretariat.
“His grandson escaped through the backdoor while the suspects proceeded to kill the king and abduct his wife and another individual identified as Mercy,” Ìgbìnmó Májékóbájé Ilé-Yorùbá stated.
In a separate incident in January 2026, the group alleged that Fulani herdsmen stormed the Aafin community in the Ile-Ire district of Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State and abducted HRH Oba S. Y. Olaonipekun along with his son, Olaolu.
Similarly, Oba Kamilu Salami, the Ojibara of Bayagan-Ile community in Ifelodun LGA, was reportedly kidnapped in December 2025 and spent 25 days in captivity.
“These incidents happened under Tinubu’s watch, yet he sees nothing wrong with it, focusing instead on how to retain his position in 2027,” the Union alleged.
The statement also cited the abduction of Oba Dada Ogunyada, the Obalohun of Okoloke in Kogi State, who was kidnapped from his palace and held hostage for 28 days before being released after a reported ransom payment of N50 million.
The Union insisted that such direct attacks on Yoruba monarchs by Fulani extremists were unprecedented before the current administration.
“Never in the history of our traditional institution have Fulani extremists killed Yoruba traditional rulers the way it is happening now,” the group said. “This began when the APC and Tinubu occupied power and failed in their responsibility to secure those who are custodians of our heritage and norms.”
Issuing a stern warning, the Union called on Yoruba people to resist what it termed ongoing extrajudicial killings.
“It is time for Omo-luabi Ilé-Yorùbá to resist this occurrence as our fathers have been subjected to extrajudicial killings by Fulani herdsmen who came from another region to kill our traditional rulers,” they said.
“Those who keep mute when they are supposed to talk may end up in the hands of these Fulani extremists if they fail to call those who are saddled with responsibility to secure Yoruba land.”
The group accused Tinubu of being unconcerned about the killings and kidnappings.
“Tinubu seems not to be concerned about the killings and kidnappings of our people and traditional rulers. All he is eyeing is 2027,” it alleged.
The Union also urged traditional rulers to withdraw from partisan politics, warning that political affiliations have weakened their moral authority.
“We call on all our traditional rulers to stop being involved in partisan politics, which has reduced their ability and consciousness to call our political leaders to accountability.
“They must know that the deaths taking their kinsmen are issuing warnings for them.”
