Kogiflame
The Okun natives of Yoruba descent in Kogi state have dissociated themselves from the threat of Jihad (war) against the Yoruba in South-West Nigeria for rejecting the proposed introduction of Sharia Law in the region.
This was contained in a statement signed by the President General, Okun Development Association (ODA), Amb. Akenson Rotimi made available to newsmen on Sunday.
The group was reacting to a statement allegedly credited to a man who claimed to be from Okun in Kogi State, whose mother is a Fulani, threatening to unleash jihad on the Yoruba in the South-West for rejecting introduction of Sharia Law in the region.
Distancing themselves from the report on a social media, the group in the statement declared that the Okun People are purely Yoruba descent from Kogi State and share everything in common with the Yoruba in the South-West region in Nigeria.
The statement reads in parts: “The Okun people who are mainly Yorubas from Kogi State Okun are YORUBA PONMBELE that is totally Yoruba in history, culture- language, customs, practices, dresses, diet, perspectives, social and moral laws, games, music etc etc)
“The attention of Okun People, currently in the Western Senatorial District of Kogi State, has been drawn a Sahara Reporter’s story, quoting from Facebook that an Okun man with a Fulani mother, has threatened Jihad on the Yoruba of South West Nigeria for rejecting Sharia Law.
“Before our response we draw attention to the following facts in the report, that the man claims that his name is Abbey, an Okun man with a Fulani mother, he claimed to be an Okun man but not Yoruba. He claims that he identifies with the Fulani, his mother’s tribe, rather than Okun and He, very correctly, stated that the Okun are mot Islamaophobic.
“Mr. Abbey, who issued a threat of Jihad, may not know who he is, but Okun People know who they are. Okun people therefore, dissociate themselves from his threats.
“We want to state clearly that Okun People don’t know him and by his own claim, he identifies with the Fulani. He therefore cannot speak for Okun
“We also affirm that his position on the matter at hand does not reflect or represent that of Okun People who wholeheartedly disassociate themselves from the threat he issued.
“Okun People affirm that they are not Islamaophobic. Christians, Muslims and Traditional Religion Practitioners have always lived together happily and are mixed in most families and that there has never been a crisis in their relationships.
“On the matter of religion, Okun People strictly adhere to the very clear position of the 1999 Constitution (as Amended) that NIGERIA IS A SECULAR STATE where everyone has rights to practise any religion. This Constitutional provision means that any part of Nigeria that adopts a religion as State Religion proclaims that it has exited from the Federation of Nigeria.
“We also affirm that the land on which Okun People live is entirely and historically Yorubaland. It never belonged to any other tribe or religion
“Okun is Isale Oya KUN IS ISALE OYA (South) not Oke Oya (North). Okun had been in the North not by the voluntary will of our people but through British Colonialism.
“Okun was taken out of its traditional historical and cultural relationship and merged with other tribes in the North with which they had no geographical, historical, cultural and economic ties.”
The President of the group, therefore, called for a reversal of the injustice done to them since 1903 and demand for a referendum to give expression to their new course of history, this is because Okun People want to develop new relationship and alliances with those of similar culture, history and development.
Independent
