The pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has dismissed a viral video giving a 48-hour ultimatum to some other Nigerian nationals, especially the Igbo, to quit Yorubaland.
Leader of a group known as Young Yoruba for Freedom, Adeyinka Grandson, who currently resides abroad, was said to have in the viral video urged all Igbo to leave Lagos in 48 hours or face dire consequences.
“We are giving you (Igbo) 48 hour ultimatum from Friday till Sunday October 25, to leave Yoruba land. From Monday, we will close all roads and stop all vehicles across Yoruba land, and all Igbo nationals would be dealt with accordingly,” he reportedly said in the video.
In a statement issued by the Afenifere Leader, Pa Reuben Fasonranti, on Saturday evening, the group said it knew nothing about the video nor its producer.
Incidentally, Yoruba leaders and those of the apex Igbo sociocultural group, Ohanaeze, have reunited to condemn what they called “devilish attempt” to drive a wedge among them.
Afenifere had also earlier warned against giving ethnic colouration to recent #EndSARS protests and the attendant arsons in Lagos.
Reiterating this, Fashoranti urged the Igbo to ignore the quit notice.
He said, “The most embarrassing to me as the leader of Afenifere was that the young man who made the announcement kicked off with the well-known tune of Afenifere anthem, thus giving the impression that it was the Afenifere’s initiative.
“This is to say that we do not know anything about the quit order nor are we in any way connected with its issuance nor its initiators.
“For the time being, in addition to our other releases, let us all maintain peace.”
Similarly, Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka denounced the video asking Igbo indigenes to quit Yoruba land.
In a statement he titled, “Identify Thieves on the Rampage,” Soyinka urged Nigerians to ignore the video from Grandson whom he described as a “lunatic fringe.”
According to him, “That statement impudently expounds, as my utterance, what the Hausa want, what the Yoruba want, and what the Igbo want.”
“Such an attribution – let me once again reiterate – is the work of sick, cowardly minds that are ashamed, or lack the courage, as the saying goes, “to answer their fathers’ names.” At least the current ethnic rabble-rouser has the courage of his convictions, not so the sick brigade of identity thieves,” Soyinka said.
He stated, “Undoubtedly in order to promote the video clip of an ethnic revanchist calling on Igbo to leave Yoruba land, this same lunatic fringe has exhumed, and embarked on circulating an ancient fabrication – several years mouldering in the grave – once attributed to me and vigorously denounced.
“Normally, one should totally ignore the social dregs. However, in the present atmosphere where FAKE NEWS is so easily swallowed and acted upon without reflection, I feel once again obliged to denounce this recurrent obscenity. As for our brother and sister Igbo, I hope they have learnt to ignore the toxic bilge under which some Nigerian imbeciles seek to drown the nation.
“It is time also, I believe, to also enter the following admonition: one cannot continue to monitor and respond to the concoctions of these addicts of falsehood, and their assiduous promoters who have yet to learn to wipe the filth off their tablets.
“The patrons of social platforms should develop the art of discrimination. Some attributions are simply so gross that, to grant them even a moment’s latitude of probability diminishes the civic intelligence of the recipient.”
