The regent head of Ijebu Ode and co-founder of EKO Hospital, Lagos State, Dr Sunny Kuku, and the Special Assistant to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Youth Development, Pastor Okikiola Fayomi, have both urged President Bola Tinubu to help actualise the long-held dream of the creation of Ijebu State.

Kuku, who is also the Ogbeni Oja of Ijebu land and the acting Awujale, alongside Okikiola, who doubles as the National President of the Ijebu Youth Association, made the plea while addressing journalists during the 2025 International Youth Summit, Empowerment, and Award Programme.

The event, with the theme: “Youth empowerment for a new era: Catalysing the great creation of Ijebu State,” was held at Ijebu-Ode.

Represented by Dr Yemi Kuku, the renowned physician said in a statement on Sunday from the media office of the youth organisation, signed by Okikiola, that although the agitation for Ijebu State had spanned several decades, the people remained hopeful that President Tinubu would finally make it a reality.

“We have been promised in the past that we shall get it, but it all ended there. We are, however, hoping that this is our time, and I have no doubt about that.

“There is hope that we shall get it under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, who has been doing fantastically well with the management of the affairs of our nation.

“We have that assurance that the dream of having Ijebu State will be realised under this present administration by the special grace of God,” he said.

Kuku also urged the youth to serve as catalysts for excellence and to shun any acts that could jeopardize their future.

Similarly, Okikiola said that several leaders, beginning with the late Senator Abraham Adesanya, had fought for the creation of Ijebu State but failed due to disunity between Ijebu and Remo people.

He stressed that the time had come for both groups to speak with one voice to achieve their common goal.

He explained that all Ijebu and Remo youths had been sensitised and now united in their resolve not to miss the opportunity.

“We are appealing to President Bola Tinubu to please help with the creation of Ijebu State, because it remains the only province among 24 provinces created over 100 years ago that is yet to metamorphose into a state.

“So, we are appealing to our hardworking President to help correct this imbalance. It is a dream that we are quite optimistic will be a reality under President Tinubu.

“We are also appealing to the entire National Assembly to please support the bill for Ijebu State creation to come to limelight,” he said.

Okikiola noted that the youth had earlier held a rally around Ijebu-Ode to mobilise support and cooperation from all stakeholders to ensure that the dream finally came to fruition.

The Founder of Eyes Foundation Hospital, Dr Kunle Hassan, represented by Yusuf Adesanya, commended the youth group for championing empowerment and urged them to refrain from social vices.

Highlights of the event included the distribution of empowerment tools to the youth, with a call on them to embrace vocational training and pursue entrepreneurial ventures to create wealth and reduce unemployment.

Recall that former governor and senator representing Ogun East, Gbenga Daniel, recently alleged that some indigenes of the state were collaborating with outsiders to frustrate the agitation for the creation of Ijebu-Remo State out of the present Ogun State.

Daniel, who is sponsoring the bill for the new state in the National Assembly, warned that such internal sabotage could derail years of collective struggle and the dream championed by the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona.

“From what I have gathered, each geopolitical zone may not get more than one new state.

“In the South-West, we have competition from our Ibadan brothers, who are also demanding their own state. Our only advantage is that, of all the provinces created in 1923, only the Ijebu Province, which comprises nine local governments, has yet to become a state,” Daniel said.

He expressed concern that “some of our people, perhaps because of temporary benefits, are working with outsiders to sabotage this dream,” adding that, “We are short of calling them bastards.”

Daniel stressed that the proposed Ijebu-Remo State, with its capital in Ijebu land, would correct historical imbalances and accelerate regional development and political representation.

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The Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria, Kaduna State Chapter, has faulted the decision of the United States government under President Donald Trump to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern”  over the alleged persecution and killing of Christians.

The council described the designation as unfair, biased, and reflective of a one-sided narrative that ignores the complex nature of Nigeria’s security challenges.

It also criticised the Christian Association of Nigeria, accusing it of promoting false narratives of religious persecution that have deepened divisions and inflamed tensions.

Trump had, in a post on his Truth Social platform on Friday, claimed that Christianity was facing an “existential threat” in Nigeria, accusing radical Islamists of orchestrating the “mass slaughter” of Christians across the country.

“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘Country of Particular Concern,’” Trump wrote.

The U.S. president also directed Congressmen Riley Moore and Tom Cole, alongside the House Appropriations Committee, to investigate the situation and report back to him.

The move has sparked nationwide debate, with some Christian groups welcoming the decision, while Muslim organisations, including the SCSN, rejected it as biased and politically motivated.

In a statement issued in Kaduna on Saturday, the Secretary of the Council, Hassan AbdulRahman, said the U.S. decision was “unjust” and failed to consider the realities on the ground, noting that Nigeria’s security crisis was driven largely by ethnic, political, and economic factors rather than religion.

“The council is not happy with this development regarding allegations of Christian genocide in Nigeria,” Abdul Rahman said. “The Trump administration should have sought a balanced perspective before jumping to conclusions.”

He argued that portraying Nigeria as a country where Christians are systematically persecuted was misleading and damaging to the nation’s image.

According to him, both Christians and Muslims have suffered from terrorism, banditry, and communal clashes.

“By statistics, it’s clear that Muslims are mostly the victims in various instances,” he said. “Attributing these tensions solely to religion oversimplifies the realities and undermines national unity and peace.”

AbdulRahman accused Western nations — particularly the U.S. — of showing selective empathy, saying international concern tends to rise only when Christians are victims, while violence against Muslims attracts little attention.

“Wherever Muslims are killed, it doesn’t concern the West or the U.S.,” he said. “They always highlight issues affecting Christians while remaining silent on violence against Muslims. This bias breeds distrust and alienation among Muslim communities.”

The council also tackled CAN for its insistence that there is Christian genocide in Nigeria.

The council said, “To CAN, who initiated these lies, they should know that when Nigeria sinks — may Allah forbid — it’s all of us that will bear the brunt,” Abdul Rahman said. “Christians, Muslims, and even pagans will not be spared.”

AbdulRahman stressed that Nigeria’s problems could only be resolved through mutual understanding and cooperation, not through foreign interference or internal mistrust, urging Nigerians to resist attempts by external powers to sow discord.

“Let us not allow foreign lies to divide us,” he added. “Through understanding, dialogue, and cooperation, Nigeria can overcome its challenges and build a peaceful future for all.”

AbdulRahman also urged the Federal Government to take a firmer diplomatic stance on the issue, insisting that mere statements from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were insufficient.

“Our position is clear — we strongly condemn this decision by the U.S.,” he said. “The government must do more than issue statements. Stern action must be taken, even if it means reviewing or cutting diplomatic ties, to show the gravity of the situation.”

Senior Advocates of Nigeria have faulted the threat by United States President, Donald Trump, to deploy American troops to Nigeria over alleged killings of Christians, saying such a move would amount to an invasion and a violation of Nigeria’s sovereignty under international law.

On Friday, Trump designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged Christian genocide, and followed with the threat to send US troops to wipe out Islamic terrorists killing Christians in Nigeria.

“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities,” Trump declared on Saturday, November 1.

Reacting to the controversy, constitutional lawyer, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), said any form of foreign military intervention without the consent of Nigeria’s government would be an “act of aggression.”

“They can only move in with the consent of our government.

They can’t move in by themselves. If they do, it will amount to an act of aggression, which is a capital offence in international law,” Sagay said.

Similarly, Adedayo Adedeji (SAN) underscored that under international law, every state retains the right to independence and territorial control without external interference.

“In international law, each state has the fundamental right to independence and to exercise full legal power within its territory, free from external dictation,” Adedeji said.

He explained that while cooperation in counterterrorism was legitimate, any unilateral military action by the U.S. would be unacceptable.

“The United States cannot just come into Nigeria to fight alleged cases of Christian genocide. This does not remove the need for collaboration between Nigeria and other countries to fight terrorism, which is a global problem,” he added.

Adedeji also dismissed claims of any ongoing “Christian genocide” in Nigeria, saying,

“Contrary to the news making the rounds, I don’t think we have anything like Christian genocide in Nigeria.”

However, Chief Mike Ahamba (SAN) described the alleged killings as deeply troubling, noting that the Federal Government must put a stop to avoid external intervention.

“I don’t know under which law they are saying it, but if the killings of Christians continue and the government of Nigeria does not stop it, then a stronger nation can step in. This is the way I look at it,” he said.

Ahamba emphasised that any intervention must be invited by Nigeria.

“If any country goes into another country to fight, it’s an invasion. It’s always better for a country to be invited to do so. If they don’t, and they know that something wrong is happening, what happened in Iraq can happen.”

In his own reaction, Lagos-based lawyer, Jiti Ogunye, described Trump’s threat as baseless and hypocritical, arguing that it contradicts the  U.S. president’s “America First” ideology.

“This is Trump, who is pulling back from engaging with the world, who is talking about not funding other countries, imposing punishing tariffs, and preventing immigrants from coming to America. If his presidency says America is looking inwards, what then captures America’s interest in Nigeria?” Ogunye asked.

He questioned Trump’s motives, suggesting that the renewed interest in Nigeria could be tied to economic and strategic interests rather than humanitarian concern.

“It’s not far-fetched that if such wishes were achieved, Nigeria’s oil, lithium, and gold could be taken to pay for the so-called protection,” Ogunye said.

The lawyer urged the Tinubu administration to focus on resolving Nigeria’s internal security challenges, particularly the recurring farmer-herder conflicts in the Middle Belt and other parts of the country.

“Let Tinubu’s administration sort out the internal security situation. In Benue and Plateau, go there and address the crisis. Those who claim to be herdsmen should return to their original places. The era of roaming cattle is over,” he said.

Ogunye added that respecting established state boundaries and promoting ranching would help end the persistent clashes.

“You cannot come from one state and invade another and claim it as a new settlement. The Usman Dan Fodio era is over, the Oyo Empire is over. Respect those boundaries,” he said.

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