OPU Rejects Kidnappers’ Demand for Sharia Law in Oyo, Calls It Threat to Yoruba Identity

 

By oluwaseyi fadoro 

The Oodua Progressives Union (OPU) has strongly condemned the reported demand by kidnappers of schoolchildren in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State for the implementation of Sharia law in the state as a condition for the victims’ release.

In a statement jointly signed by its Secretary-General, Alhaji Lukman Adedire, and Publicity Secretary, Victor Akingbayi, the socio-cultural organisation described the demand as a dangerous attempt to undermine the constitutional order, peace, and cultural identity of Oyo State and the wider South-West region.

The kidnappers are said to have demanded a ransom of ₦1 billion alongside the introduction of Sharia law in Oyo State before releasing the abducted pupils and their teachers.

Reacting to the development, the OPU said both the abduction and the ideological demands attached to it constitute serious violations of human rights and an affront to the rule of law.

According to the group, the nature of the demand suggests a possible religious motive behind the kidnapping, warning that Nigeria remains a secular state where no religion should be imposed on others.

The organisation noted that Yorubaland has a long history of religious tolerance, where adherents of Christianity, Islam, traditional religion, and other faiths coexist peacefully without attempts to dominate one another.

“The Oyo Empire accepted Islam in the 15th century through contacts with Mali, while the Shitta-Bey family in Lagos embraced Islam through Turkish influence centuries ago. Yoruba people have always practised religious coexistence and will not submit to any agenda aimed at imposing a particular religious order,” the statement said.

The OPU called on the Oyo State Government, the Oyo State House of Assembly, and other key stakeholders across Yorubaland to firmly reject the kidnappers’ demands.

The group also urged security agencies to intensify efforts to secure the safe release of the abducted children and teachers without yielding to what it described as unlawful conditions.

Expressing concern over the welfare and health of the victims, the organisation stressed the need for their immediate rescue and safe return to their families.

Furthermore, the OPU called on the state government to strengthen collaboration with federal security agencies and private security outfits, including the Southwest Security Stakeholders’ Group (SSSG), to tackle rising cases of banditry and terrorism in the region.