Isese Day: Yoruba Group Alleges External Manipulation of Thrones, Warns Against Undermining Ile-Ife

A Yoruba civil society group, the Yoruba Revolutionary Movement (YOREM), has accused traditional rulers, political elites, and religious leaders of betraying Yoruba heritage by allegedly submitting to what it described as an “Afroasiatic imperial order” backed by internal collaborators.

In a statement marking Isese Day 2025, YOREM claimed that the historic rivalry between the Alaafin of Oyo and the Ooni of Ife is being exploited as a smokescreen to weaken Ile-Ife, regarded as the spiritual cradle of the Yoruba.

The group alleged that the humiliation of traditional rulers — such as the Olu Amugbo of Iwo during a coronation — reflected calculated external interference in Yoruba institutions.

“The Alaafin-Ooni rivalry is not a mere palace squabble. It masks a deeper agenda to subordinate Ile-Ife to alien control. What is playing out is spiritual warfare aimed at erasing our divine origin and replacing it with Abrahamic myths,” the statement read.

YOREM further rejected the blanket use of the word “Yoruba”, describing it as a colonial label, insisting that groups such as the Igbomina, Ekiti, Ijesha, Ijebu, Awori, Okun, and Ilaje all trace their roots to Odùduwà and Ile-Ife.

The group also criticized the Tinubu administration, accusing it of ethnic exclusion, voter suppression during the 2023 elections, and authoritarian practices. It condemned the alleged marginalisation of the Igbo in federal appointments, describing the judiciary and INEC as compromised.

YOREM defended rising calls for Biafran self-determination, warning that continued injustice and inequality could lead to wider disintegration.

“You cannot treat a people as second-class citizens and expect loyalty. The demand for Biafra is not treason but resistance to oppression. Unless justice prevails, others will follow,” the group warned.

#IseseDay #YorubaHeritage #IleIfe #Alaafin #Ooni #Nigeria #CulturalIdentity #TraditionalInstitutions #Tinubu #Biafra #Justice

We Won’t Live Like Slaves’ — Ilaje Protest Demolition Of Ancestral Homes In Lagos

August 20, 2025 | News

Hundreds of Ilaje residents in Lagos have staged a protest against the demolition of their ancestral homes, accusing some traditional rulers of acting as land grabbers and hiding under the name of President Bola Tinubu to justify the destruction.

Despite heavy rainfall, women and men under the umbrella of Egbe Omo Ilaje marched to the Lagos State House of Assembly in Alausa, Ikeja, demanding urgent intervention from Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Speaker Mudashiru Obasa.

Threat of Nude Protest:
An elderly protester, Ifagbemi, declared that Ilaje women were ready to stage a nude demonstration at the palaces of implicated monarchs if the demolitions continued.

“We are the original settlers of Lagos. If the government refuses to act, we will strip ourselves and storm the palaces of these monarchs. We want peace and justice,” she said.

Allegations Against Monarchs:
President-General of Egbe Omo Ilaje Worldwide, Rafael Irowainu, accused some monarchs of fraudulently invoking Tinubu’s name to legitimise demolitions.
He insisted the Ilaje people are indigenous settlers of Lagos, while many of the monarchs behind the demolitions originated from Osun and Ekiti states.

Heritage at Risk:
Protesters warned that demolitions without court orders would worsen insecurity, homelessness, and cultural erasure.
Prince Oluwajimusu, Lagos State Chairman of Egbe Omo Ilaje, condemned the move as a deliberate attempt to “wipe out Ilaje heritage.”

“You cannot write the history of Lagos without the Ilaje. We will not continue to live as slaves in our own land. By 2027, we will decide our political future,” he declared.

Many displaced families have called on the Lagos government to compensate affected landlords and residents, stressing that their wives and children are already suffering severe hardship.

Bottom Line: The Ilaje community insists they are founding settlers of Lagos and vow not to surrender their land rights, warning of escalated protests if demolitions continue.

#Lagos #Ilaje #LandDispute

July flood alert: 20 states at risk despite N620bn intervention.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency has issued a flood alert for the month of July, warning that states including Sokoto, Lagos, Edo, Benue, and 16 others are at risk of experiencing flash floods.

This came as the Africa Environmental Health Organisation, climate change adaptation researchers, and members of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, among others, lambasted state governments following the recent devastating floods that ravaged several states, calling for an intense scrutiny over the management of ecological funds allocated to affected regions.

Findings showed that despite receiving over N620bn in ecological funds, many states seem ill-prepared to mitigate the impact of such disasters, raising questions about the effectiveness of these funds in enhancing environmental resilience and disaster preparedness.

NiMet’s flash flood risk alert for July 2025, released on Monday by the agency, showed the states with varying probable risks of experiencing flash flooding events due to the onset of rainfall across the country.


The agency said, “Sokoto State has a high risk of experiencing flash floods. Other states with notable risk of flash flooding are Kaduna, Zamfara, Yobe, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Jigawa, Adamawa, Taraba, Niger, Nasarawa, Benue, Ogun, Ondo, Lagos, Delta, Edo, Cross River, Rivers and Akwa Ibom.”

The agency advised residents of the states to relocate if necessary, clear drainage systems, prepare emergency kits, turn off electricity and gas during flooding, strengthen mudslide prevention, and promote community awareness.

This came as residents of some Ondo communities affected by the flood that occurred last week have called on the state government on Monday to come to their aid following the destruction of their property.

The flood occurred as a result of a downpour on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, which has reportedly destroyed property worth millions of naira in communities in Owo, Okitipupa, Ilaje, and Ese Odo Local Government Areas of the state.

It was gathered that the flood destroyed buildings and submerged bridges in the affected communities of Uso, Ayeka, Ikoya, Igbodigo, Igodan, and Igbotako.

The Deputy Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Abayomi Akinruntan has resigned his position, citing the need to align with the conventional arrangement of elective position in the state.


The resignation letter of the former deputy speaker – representing Ilaje Constituency 1, – who is the son of the Olugbo of Ugbo Kingdom, Oba Fredrick Akinruntan, was read at the floor of the Assembly by the Clerk, Benjamin Jayeiola.

Akinruntan, who was absent during the plenary, was elected as the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly in June 2023, a position he occupied until his resignation.


The resignation letter read: “I hereby tender my resignation from the office of the Deputy Speaker effective from today, 2nd June, 2025. Recall the House was inaugurated June, 2023 and I was unanimously elected as Deputy Speaker by members as stipulated in our standing order.

“My resignation is borne out of the need to align with the conventional arrangement in power sharing of elective positions in the state. I want to appreciate all members and staff for their contributions and support.”

Following Akinruntan’s resignation, the lawmaker representing Okitipupa Constituency 2, Ololade Gbegude was subsequently nominated by Oluwatoyin Japheth (Akoko North East Constituency) and seconded by Chris Ayebusiwa (Okitipupa Constituency 1) as the new Deputy Speaker.


Following the nomination of Gbegudu, which was not contested, he was subsequently sworn in as the Deputy Speaker with the pledge that he will serve in his new role with due diligence.

Similarly, the Majority Leader of the Assembly, Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi, also stepped down from his position, with the lawmaker representing Ose Constituency, Olatunji Oshati, announced as the new Majority Leader.

Also, Muritala Sulaiman, representing Akoko South East, was announced as the new Chief Whip, while Fabiyi Olatunji, Odigbo Constituency 1, becomes the Whip of the Assembly.


The Speaker, Olamide Oladiji, commended the former deputy speaker and the erstwhile majority leader for their maturity.

He said: “He (Akinruntan) has been a peaceful ally. He has support the house. I want to appreciate him for the maturity displayed for ensuring a peaceful transition.

“The same thing goes to the former majority leader. He has been a stabilizer in the House and also a good and dependable ally.”


It was gathered that the change of the positions of the principal officers became imperative in order to balance the unwritten elective political arrangements in the state.

Akinruntan and Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa hail from the same Ilaje Local Council Area of the state, while the erstwhile Majority Leader, Ogunmolasuyi is from
Owo Local Council, where the Deputy Governor, Olayide Adelami hails from.




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