The pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, has cautioned against efforts to stoke discord when peaceful coexistence should instead be nurtured.
The warning follows recent claims that the Igbo of South-East Nigeria were the original founders of Ile-Ife, the traditional cradle of the Yoruba people—an assertion Afenifere calls “false” and “a violent attempt to turn history upside down.”
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi, Afenifere decried what it described as an “unwarranted predilection” by certain individuals to incite unnecessary tension between the Yoruba and Igbo communities. Ajayi referenced a joint publication by two Igbo scholars, Tony Duru and Ijeoma Duru, in which they assert that Igbo people originally inhabited Ile-Ife before Oduduwa’s arrival. According to their book, Standard History Studies for Junior Secondary Schools – Book 1-3, “The area was originally occupied by Igbo people… Later, Oduduwa and his armies invaded the land and chased the earlier settlers down.”
Afenifere argues that this claim is not only unsubstantiated, but dangerous: “This narrative is not history—it is a deliberate attempt to undermine the Yoruba heritage and ignite ethnic tensions,” Ajayi said.
He pointed out that similar claims—such as the notion that Lagos is “no man’s land” and that Igbo “wizardry” built the city’s economy—have already caused friction between the two groups.
Ajayi also recalled a November 2021 interview in The Shallow Tales Review, in which an author named Kasimma described the Igbo as “pioneers of this Universe,” a claim he said is symptomatic of a broader revisionist agenda.
“It seems that buying land and properties in Yorubaland is no longer sufficient for some. Now they want to rewrite our collective history,” he offered.
The Afenifere statement urged the Nigerian Educational Research Development Council (NERDC) to withdraw any endorsement of the Duru-authored book, arguing that educational institutions should promote unity rather than sowing division.
“Books that promote the subjugation of one ethnic group by another must be pulled from circulation and banned from active use in classrooms,” Ajayi asserted.
To underscore Yoruba goodwill, Afenifere recalled how, during the Civil War, many Igbos’ properties in Yorubaland were safeguarded by their Yoruba hosts—homes kept intact and rents held in trust until their owners returned.
“Few communities in the world can claim such humanitarian acts,” Ajayi noted. “Yet, instead of gratitude, our people are now ridiculed by some of those who benefitted from our generosity.”
Afenifere also highlighted attempts to distort a 2019 comment by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi. During a courtesy visit in April 2019, the then-president of Lagos State’s Ohanaeze Ndigbo chapter, Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene, and his delegation met with the monarch. The Ooni’s references to a historical link between the Yoruba and Igbo were later twisted by some to imply that Igbo people “established” Ile-Ife—an interpretation the group finds absurd. “How could the Ooni, Arole Oodua, claim that Igbos founded Ile-Ife?” Ajayi asked.
In closing, Afenifere appealed for mutual respect and social responsibility. “We must uphold the core values of personal and collective freedom, community consciousness, and fairness in all our interactions,” Ajayi said.
He urged all ethnic groups to emulate Yoruba commitment to these values to foster unity and shared progress.
“Rather than deepening fissures, we should build bridges that allow our peoples to cooperate and pursue the best interests of our communities,” Afenifere concluded.
