The Yoruba Union, Ìgbìnmó Májékóbájé Ilé-Yorùbá, has applauded the United States Congress for proposing a bill that seeks to ban Fulani herders, including the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, along with some top Nigerian government officials allegedly involved in violent attacks and negotiations with Fulani militias. The Union’s convenor, Olusola Badero, through its Home Director, Princess Balogun, described the move as a “historic step toward justice and accountability” for victims of herders’ violence.
The group expressed profound frustration that, despite years of appeals to the international community, including the European Union and the United Nations, no decisive action had been taken to curb the atrocities committed by armed Fulani herders. The Union detailed the suffering of Yoruba communities, noting that they have endured the killing of hundreds of innocent people, the kidnapping of women and children, rape, and the destruction of thousands of farmlands, leading to the displacement of many from their ancestral homes across states like Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Ekiti, Kwara, and Kogi.
Ìgbìnmó Májékóbájé Ilé-Yorùbá explained that the continued violence has left countless children orphaned and many women widowed, directly attributing the devastation to the “Nigerian government’s failure to protect its citizens.” The group accused federal authorities of complicity in the violence, claiming that instead of confronting the perpetrators, the government has chosen to negotiate with them, tolerating their violence and reintegrating them into society under the guise of rehabilitation.
The Yoruba Union further urged the US Congress to expand beyond the proposed ban by imposing comprehensive sanctions on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, members of his administration, and the leadership of Nigeria’s security agencies, including the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun. The group argued that the government has made life unbearable for citizens through “anti-people economic policies” and should be sanctioned for human rights violations, corruption, and failure to protect Nigerians.
The advocacy group called on Washington to immediately suspend all foreign aid to Nigeria, arguing that the assistance has not improved the living conditions of ordinary citizens. Additionally, the Union demanded that the US President revoke the visas of all Nigerian public officials and their family members, claiming that those in power continue to enjoy privileges abroad while neglecting their citizens at home. Finally, the group called on the US Congress to compel the Nigerian government to compensate all victims of herders’ violence and to immediately halt the controversial programme of rehabilitating so-called “repentant terrorists,” which it views as a threat to national security and peace.
