Pro-Yoruba activist, Salami known popularly as MS Baba has warned Lagosians and Yorubas in general about what he described as an antics by the Fulani to infiltrate and take over Yoruba land.
The warning is in regard to Sulaimon Abou-Nolla who is the current Chief Imam in Lagos State.
Ms warned that the current landscape in Lagos reveals a calculated pattern of cultural displacement.
He said: “The Chief Imam of Lagos, a Fulani man, has adopted a Yoruba name as part of a strategic maneuver to occupy indigenous spaces under the mantle of religion.
He warned that the adoption is a deliberate method of expansion into territory that belongs to the Yoruba people.
“This process of taking over land was clearly demonstrated in Ilorin. Sulu Kolapo Gambari was originally installed as the Oba of Ilorin. However, once he secured the position, he discarded the name Kolapo and established himself as an Emir. This transition highlights a systematic strategy where indigenous Yoruba authority is erased and replaced by foreign structures.
“A similar process is now being observed in Lagos. The current leadership has overseen the installation of various Chief Imams across the state, ensuring these positions are held by those of Fulani descent. These individuals utilize specific tactics to achieve this:
Identity Shielding: They adopt Yoruba names to blend into the community and obscure their true origins.
Linguistic Influence: They use their fluency in the Yoruba language to mask the fact that they are not indigenous to the land.
Cultural Overhaul: Their attire and conduct promote Fulani culture rather than Yoruba heritage, signaling a push to transform Lagos into an Emirate system.
There is a fundamental difference in how this situation is being handled. While Yoruba people view these institutions as matters of faith, this is actually a political tool for territorial acquisition and dominance.
Lagos is not an Emirate, yet the current leadership operates to displace the real owners of the land. The indigenous population must recognize this systematic strategy before their ancestral positions of power are fully seized by those hiding their true identity.
