By Onyeanya Ebere
A faction of the pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, has strongly condemned claims by some scholars that the Igbo people of South-East Nigeria founded Ile-Ife, describing the assertion as false, provocative, and an attempt to distort history.
The group’s reaction follows the resurfacing of a claim made years ago by two Igbo scholars, Tony Duru and Ijeoma Duru, in a jointly authored book, that the Igbos were the original settlers in Ile-Ife before the emergence of Oduduwa, the progenitor of the Yoruba people.
In a statement issued in Ibadan on Wednesday, Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, warned against “fuelling unnecessary ethnic tension” through unfounded historical narratives.
He said, “Such claims are not only false but constitute a violent attempt to turn history upside down.”
Quoting the controversial section on page 62 of the book Standard History Studies for Junior Secondary Schools (Books 1–3), Ajayi noted it states: “…Historical evidence proved that the area [Ile-Ife] was originally occupied by Igbo people of Nigerian extraction. Later, Oduduwa and his armies invaded the land and chased the earlier settlers down…”
Ajayi condemned the assertion as part of a broader agenda by some elements to provoke ethnic animosity.
“It appears that buying land and property in Yorubaland is not enough for some; they now seek historical entitlement to the land by claiming to be its original inhabitants,” he said.
He added that the Yoruba people currently face challenges from both Fulani herders and elements from the East, accusing the latter of attempting to rewrite history for political advantage.
“The Yoruba are not expansionist in nature. It is ironic that the same people they have welcomed with open arms now attempt to dispossess them,” he stated.
Ajayi further referenced ongoing debates over Lagos, highlighting what he described as “false narratives” claiming Lagos is “no man’s land” or attributing the city’s economic development solely to Igbo enterprise.
“Such claims are unhelpful and only widen the divide between ethnic groups who should instead seek cooperation and peaceful coexistence,” he said.
Of particular concern to Afenifere, Ajayi noted, is the reported endorsement of the controversial book by the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC).
He urged the federal agency to immediately withdraw its approval.
“If it is true that the NERDC endorsed the book, we call on the Council to withdraw it. Such content goes against the Council’s mandate of promoting national unity and harmonious ethnic relationships,” he said.
Ajayi concluded by reaffirming Afenifere’s stance that the Yoruba people have consistently extended hands of friendship to their neighbours, including the South-Easterners.
“Unfortunately, that spirit of goodwill is often abused by those who seek to dominate or lay false claims to Yoruba heritage and property,” he warned.
