Barely Educated | Night Owl | Pro-faith Secularist De Omnibus Dubitandum
Joined May 2009
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Remi retweeted
Zik contested an election on the floor of the Western House of Assembly and lost. That is democracy. The law guarantees you the right to contest, not the right to win. Demanding that Yorubas should have elected Zik to prove they were not tribalistic is stupid.
It’s the same nonsense we keep hearing about Peter Obi. We will not abandon our democratic choice to enthone your Agulu messiah. Just as we did with Zik, we will exercise our democratic right to make sure he gets nowhere near the presidency.
E ma ke ku ni!
Remi retweeted
Former Presidential candidate 🤣🤣🤣
BOLA CANNOT USE THE COURTS TO ESCAPE THE PEOPLE’S VERDICT; WE ARE ON THE BALLOT — ATIKU
Fellow Nigerians,
Let no one mistake the latest court ruling for the will of the Nigerian people. No manipulation, conjecture or concoction can erase our place in this contest, silence our campaign or deny Nigerians the right to choose their future. We are on the ballot, and the people must be allowed to decide.
Those who boast of having thirty-two governors and claim to have bought, pressured or coerced leaders from other parties into their fold should have no reason to fear a free and fair contest. Yet, instead of presenting their record to Nigerians, they continue to deploy every tactic available to weaken the opposition: political pressure, manufactured narratives, courtroom manoeuvres and attempts to compromise the voters’ register with AI-generated photographs, false names and fictitious identities. These are not the actions of people confident in their record. They are calculated attempts to make genuine competition impossible and push Nigeria towards a one-party state.
And what record do they have to defend? This government removed the fuel subsidy overnight without a plan to protect Nigerians. It presided over the steep decline of the naira and allowed food prices to rise beyond the reach of ordinary families. Factories and small businesses have shut their doors. Our young people are leaving in search of hope, while bandits and kidnappers continue to hold communities hostage.
Look around you. Market stalls stand empty. Feeding your family has become a daily struggle. Fuel prices keep rising, and silent pain fills homes across the country. Those in power may want you to believe that your suffering does not matter. They may want you to surrender your future before you even reach the ballot box. Do not lose heart. Do not retreat. Your vote is your power, and together, we will take our country back.
Let me be clear to every Nigerian who has stood with us: I am in this race. I am not going anywhere. We will be on the ballot. No threat, blackmail or court manoeuvre will make me abandon you or the cause we share.
We will resist with all our strength every attempt to turn Nigeria into a one-party state. Nigeria belongs to all its people. Our democracy must remain open to more than one party and more than one voice. If those in power believe in their numbers and their record, let us meet at the polls in a free, fair and credible contest.
Our campaign will continue. Our message on the cost of living will not be silenced or derailed. Stay calm, united and resolute. Together, we will fight for a Nigeria where life is affordable and every citizen’s vote counts.
Let me say this plainly: Bola cannot use the courts to escape the judgment of Nigerians at the ballot box.
Atiku Abubakar
Vice President of Nigeria, 1999–2007
Sokoto, Nigeria
6 November 2026
Remi retweeted
Historically, the Alaafin's power rested on the military strength of his kingdom. The extent of this power was sectional and was terminated by Ilorin in 1835. Capt. Ross tried to revive this power between 1914 and 1931, but this fell apart when the government tagged it an error.
Remi retweeted
No Sir, respectfully, we won't allow history to be written. The cold hard truth, and then build your argument. After the British, the next task-masters where Indian. Whose racist sentiments toward Ugandans were felt and seen by everyone who lived through that time. Ugandans were essentially slaves to two masters. At a point, when Indians recognized the tides were changing, and weren't sure of their dominant position post independence, they went as far as funding Obote's rise! They hoped to meddle in Ugandan politics indirectly much like is currently done now by various parties.
The idea that Indians were "robbed" of their wealth falls flat on its face when you realize Ugandans were literally barred from participating economically. Secondly, Indians would make supernormal profits and then expatriate them back to India or Britain. Thirdly, they were given a choice between renouncing their British citizenship and pledging loyalty to Uganda or moving fully to Britain. Most chose the latter.
Ugandans lived as fourth- class citizens in their own country for decades (longer) and would have had it remain that way were it not for the pesky British who finally succumbed to independence pressure. Those who lived in that time know first hand that there was no such thing as a Ugandan business, not because Ugandans weren't skilled but because they were sytematically discrimanted against at every level.
Much has been written about the atrocities of the British government during and leading up to independence. We've demanded accountability and apology. Precious little has been laid at India's feet which actively participated in keeping people down.
Times have changed but let's not forget the finer details of our history...lest we repeat it.
Indians were thrown out from Uganda in August 1972 on orders from President Idi Amin Dada. Indians had transformed Uganda into the most prosperous country in all of Africa. Awon'go Idi Amin Dada Oumee, who had come to power on 25ᵗʰ January 1971, felt that they were 'blood suckers'.
Idi Amin claimed that on the 4ᵗʰ of August he had dreamt that Indians should be expelled. On the 8ᵗʰ of August he issued the necessary orders. Indians were given 90 days to pack up and go, leaving behind all their wealth and possessions. A person was allowed to carry only one hand bag with them as they left Uganda. They were permitted to carry only £50 pound with them. Everything else was confiscated, all jewellery, all money was physically taken away. Businesses which had been set up by Indians were handed over to supporters of Idi Amin.
Before expelling Indians from Uganda, Idi Amin had had killed most of the officers of the Ugandan army belonging to the Acholi and Lango ethnic groups. He was well known for indulging in violence against anyone he disapproved of.
As a result, Indians did not wait to argue with him. They fled immediately. Those who delayed fleeing were shot, their women raped.
About 90,000 people were thrown out of Uganda. All of them had been born in Uganda.
About 38,000 Indians arrived in Britain to a life of poverty and want. Some of the local governments, such as that of Leicester, issued public notices asking Indians to not come to Leicester which already had a large Indian population.
Why did Idi Amin throw out Indians from Uganda? As mentioned earlier, Idi Amin declared that he had been given a divine message in a dream to expel Indians from Uganda. In the explanations for his actions which he gave later he called Indians 'blood suckers' who were draining the Ugandan economy. Once Indians left, the Ugandan economy was ruined. Uganda became one of the poorest countries of Africa.
Did Idi Amin face any consequences for his actions? No, Idi Amin did not face any consequences for his actions. He remained President of Uganda for five more years till on 11ᵗʰ April 1979 he was finally ousted after a mutiny by a section of the Ugandan Army resulted in a military intervention by Tanzania. During his brutal rule Idi Amin had managed to kill over 500,000 black Africans. But when he was ousted the new government thought it fit to let him flee to Saudi Arabia rather than seek revenge upon him.
What happened to the Indians who were expelled? While the British government tried its best to stop the flow of Indians into Britain, the Jews of Britain welcomed them and provided them much needed support. The displaced Indians rebuilt their lives, much in the manner of Indians when they are persecuted. One such was the father of Zohran Mamdani, the young man who was elected Mayor of New York. Priti Patel, the British politician active in Conservative Party is another. Then there is the Jatiana family who became one of the richest families in UK with a wealth estimated to be over £650 million. The Madhvani family, led by Manubhai Madhvani too needs mention.
The majority of those forcibly displaced did not make it so big. Many had to struggle to make two ends meet. A very large number had to take up low paying jobs which required hard labour. But, they all remained resilient. None of them took to a life of crime nor did they commit suicide. About 300 of them did accept the apology of President Museveni in 1997 and set up businesses once again but, this time only in Kampala.
Pic. Indians getting off the flight from Uganda at Stansted airport on 18 September 1972. Photographed by P Felix who then worked for the Daily Express.
Courtesy Indian history fb post
Remi retweeted
Her direct quote is that, “we have been told not to say the truth so even in Church, we still shouldn’t say the truth?
They come in the night, kill women, kill children and then they run away
I want to see youths in Plateau with guns
And if Fulani can hold these weapons, we can do that too”
So what is wrong with the post??
If you don’t want her responses to be like this, then tackle the issue that is making her respond
Your Ardos are paying mercenaries to eliminate her people yet u don’t want her to also call for her people to arm themselves in light of this
Remi retweeted
What is exactly inciteful about this video? Genuinely asking
Its a shame how Religious Leaders continue to use the Alter to drum for War.
Some people are hell bent to turn the Plateau crises into full blown war. And at the end they will run and hide while the innocent people continue to die.
But one thing we must know is that No peace can ever be won through the GUN.
@PoliceNG
@OfficialDSSNG please take note
Remi retweeted
Anyway post 2027 elections, these are my expectations based on the trajectory we are on under @officialABAT
—biometric census
—resources control bill
—1999 constitution review
—regional or geo-political zones bill
—implementation of state police
—full local govt autonomy
Na strong head fit do am. E go do am. 🙏🏽
Fire on Baba!!!
Remi retweeted
Thank you so much for this. Now we know the child is actually a minor.
Lami Dawa and her accomplices are criminals. They are not jailed because they are Christians; they are jailed because of their arrogant, self-imposed obligation to spread Christianity to people they deem “lost", even if it means kidnapping them and denying them their basic rights. It is the same arrogance and callousness as the missionaries of the “civilizing mission.”
What makes this even more sinister is that the person in question is a minor, and the utter disregard they showed for parental rights. I hope Lami’s husband, the pastor on the run, is caught soon. They all need to pay for the trauma they put Aisha Kabiru Saleh and her parent through.
I came online yesterday to find many tags on my handle asking for my opinion on this case. My first reaction was to read from a reliable not a sensational source or get a copy of the charge sheet and the judgement. I have now read the judgment and agreed with my brother @Chinaluemmanuel to share our thoughts on it, against what’s already in public circulation.
Remi retweeted
Some years ago, I learned there's was a place called "Abeokuta" in Westmoreland Jamaica🇯🇲.
I knew the name well as the place where Fela Anikulapo Kuti was born - only - that Abeokuta was not in 🇯🇲, but in Yoruba Land, what is today South West Nigeria🇳🇬.
Abeokuta means "Under The Rock" in Yoruba, inspired by rock formations associated with the location in 🇳🇬. Similar natural features inspired the Yoruba brought to 🇯🇲 as indentured servants in the mid 1800s to name the area as such.
From these Ancestors, who mostly populated Westmoreland & Hanover we have the Ettu tradition, which has also become an ethnonym, especially for those in Hanover.
Nago is another Ethnonym used to refer Yoruba descendants in general, but especially those in Westmoreland. This is a term we find across the Abyayala ("The Americas") refering to Yoruba people. It is derived from "Anago" - a subgroup of Yoruba.
This term informed the name of places such as Naggo Head & Naggo Town in 🇯🇲.
Full Doc: youtu.be/xZU0tEKXX1k?is=8BLw…
#WeAreAnAfrikanPeople
Remi retweeted
I appreciate the attempt to formalize your position, but you are engaging in semantic goalpost shifting to evade the historical contradictions I raised.
I neither misrepresent you nor introduce a straw man into your argument. In your first post, you explicitly claimed that the Yoruba identity was "engineered by Oyinbo" and is not "ancient." You have now narrowed your argument to distinguish between the existence of a people and "Yoruba tribal identity/peoplehood"—a classic case of pedantic hair-splitting—while simultaneously acknowledging our origin mythology as historical reality. This is a significant retreat from your original thesis.
Even more telling is your reliance on Lewis Henry Morgan's 19th-century definition of a "tribe." Do you realize that Morgan’s unilineal evolution theory (Savagery > Barbarism > Civilization) was the exact intellectual framework used to justify racist colonial ethnographic narratives and the notion that pre-colonial Africa was a formless void peopled by barbarians? By leaning on Morgan to argue that the Yoruba lacked a "politico-social unit" before the British, you have stepped directly into the epistemic trap I warned you about.
I appreciate the polite tone of the exchange, but you cannot claim to have addressed my arguments when you explicitly sidestepped the questions that address the core of your thesis. If you are confident in your thesis, these questions shouldn't be difficult. Since you didn't address them, I'll leave them here for the record and for anyone else following this thread.
nitter.cf/tolutee/status/2115898…
Thank you for the concession. You’ve conceded the core point: the British did not "artificially engineer" a people out of thin air; they encountered an existing civilizational cluster of related city-states (ilú) that already shared deep linguistic, spiritual, and cultural affinities
That admission undercuts your original thesis and raises some unavoidable questions:
1. On the invention of a people
You argue that CMS linguists and colonial administrators used standardization to "create" the tribe. But what Samuel Ajayi Crowther and the Saro intelligentsia did in the 19th century was not inventing a people. They took an ancient, existing civilizational continuum and gave it modern print infrastructure. This is exactly what intellectual elites were doing in Germany, Italy, Greece, and Bohemia during the exact same century. European writers unanimously acknowledge the peoplehood of the Germans and Italians long before their political unification. So why accept the Europeans' premise and deny the Yorubas'? Your position on this is a post-colonial constructivist narrative. Does it occur to you that in your bid to overextend this position to critique colonial manipulation, you have inadvertently accepted as epistemic the core premise of colonial historiography: that pre-colonial Africa was a formless, ahistorical void until European intervention gave it structure? In trying to critique colonialism, have you not ended up playing the insidious European game of assigning inferiority to African claims?
2. On the Exonym Claim
You argue that "Yoruba" was merely an exonym (originally applied to the Oyo) that was later universalized. Your argument assumes that because a single overarching linguistic signifier did not exist across the whole region, the collective group had no objective reality. But are self-assigned label a constitutive elements of an ethnicity? The French word for Germany is Allemagne, an exonym derived from a neighboring Germanic tribe. Many prehistoric populations like the Celts and Slavs did not have a common, self-assigned label until contact with an alien "Other" who gave them their common ethnic eponym. No serious scholar argues this invalidates their ethnicity. So, why do you uncritically accept this position when it comes to the Yoruba?
3. On the matter of rigid boundaries
You imply that pre-colonial identity was fluid, and the British created the "rigid boundaries." But fluidity implies the existence of a boundary that is being crossed or blurred. If a non-Yoruba person in the 18th century moved into an Oyo or Ijebu town, they had to adopt the local language, participate in the local religious rites, and subscribe to the local political hierarchy to be accepted. If there was no real Yoruba identity, what exactly were they assimilating into? Doesn't the very process of assimilation prove the existence of a distinct cultural and political boundary? Furthermore, did the Ijebu and Oyo, despite their geographical distance and distinct dialects, not share similar epistemic institutions and aspirational principles, to the extent that neighboring peoples recognized them as part of the same civilizational complex? What else should we call this civilizational complex that the stranger is being absorbed into other than the Yoruba ethnicity?
4. On 'distinct nation-states'
You claim the British turned "distinct" nation-states into one tribe. But if you admit there was profound affinity, what makes them distinct? Are you positing that an ethnic group must be entirely homogeneous, without regional variation, to have objective reality? If so, I would need an example.
Remi retweeted
Please can you share the full judgement with me? I’ll like to read before I make any comment on it. People have been tagging me
Here are the facts regarding the deliberate sensationalism pushed by Arise News and online propagandists.
1) The judgment was delivered by Hon. Justice A. B. Kumalia at the Borno State High Court in Suit No. BOHC/MG/CR/154/2025 on May 5, 2026.
2) Liyatu Samuel Dawa was convicted under Section 210 of the Borno State Penal Code strictly for "depriving a parent the lawful custody of his child."
3) The victim is a MINOR, not an adult contrary to what is being peddled around.
4) The court established the victim was a minor who was lured away from her parents and removed from school, completely destroying the "consenting adult woman" media lie.
5) In the Allocutus admission, as seen in the Certified True Copy attached, Dawa herself pleaded for leniency by explicitly referring to the minor as a "victim" whom she "did not intend to cheat" and "only advised."
6) The Irrelevance of Consent as a defense. Even if the minor allegedly "confessed" or agreed to the conversion, a child cannot legally consent to abduction away from her lawful guardians.
The deceitful attempt by Arise to replace a vulnerable minor with an independent adult is a calculated media strategy to transform a straightforward child abduction conviction into a fabricated story of religious persecution.
We rely on the Certified True Copy of the court judgment, not manufactured internet outrage.
Let’s stick to the facts.
Remi retweeted
Izala Brown Shirts....Vanguard of the religious Kristallnacht of Northern Nigeria
I do not support hate speech against any religion. However, I firmly believe that if this young man belonged to another faith, the organization would not have handed him over to security agencies or publicly denied that he was a member.
As a former member of AGAJI, I know that the organization has clear rules and disciplinary procedures. The young man may have sung the song without any malicious intention., he is not the innovator of that song either, The appropriate course of action would have been to call him in, warn him, apply internal disciplinary measures, and require him to apologize so that the act would not be repeated.
Instead, the organization has denied that he was a genuine member and has even suggested that he joined with ulterior motives, which that not fair and is not islamic teaching to denied someone because he was wrong, It is worth noting that AGAJI is a voluntary organization, and this individual dedicated his time and effort to its activities, this is the treatment he has received in return.
In addition, there have been many instances of Christians issuing threats against Muslims on social media, particularly on Facebook. How many of those individuals have been arrested? Hate speech and the promotion of violence appear on social media daily, yet accountability is often selective.
I am not saying the young man should not be questioned. What I am saying is that accountability should be applied fairly and consistently to all sides.
Remi retweeted
🇳🇬🎉 VICTORY TO CELEBRATE 🎉🇳🇬
The victory is the reason. The celebration is the moment. The conversation is where we come together! 🔥🎙️
Join us on X Spaces as we celebrate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s victory in the 2027 Presidential Election! 🇳🇬💚
🎙️ HOST: @Mlamy__
🤝 CO-HOSTS: @oMoTonsore and @Lewa_Forbes_
📅 Date: Monday, 18 January 2027
⏰ Time: 8:00 AM WAT
📍 Venue: X Spaces
Save The Date 🥳
Remi retweeted
Pèp ayisyen,
Nou prèske fin deplwaye sòlda nou yo ak ekipman nou yo sou tè Ayiti. Sa a se pa yon operasyon kont pèp ayisyen an, ni yon envazyon peyi Ayiti. Nou pa yon gwo pisans. Nou pa gen okenn enterè ni pou nou vin domine pèp ayisyen an, ni pou nou mete men sou richès Ayiti.
Nou se yon peyi modès k ap devlope. Sèl sa nou vle, se pou kat teknisyen avyasyon nou yo tounen lakay yo. Epi n ap bay gang yo yon leson, gang sa yo k ap fè pèp ayisyen an soufri, ki touye moun pèp la renmen yo, k ap anpeche l viv yon lavi nòmal, lib, san laperèz.
Se prèske nou menm sèl k ap peye pou operasyon sa a. Menmsi nou resevwa yon ti èd lojistik nan men kèk lòt peyi, se ak pwòp ti kès nou n ap kouvri 90% nan depans yo.
Sa koute nou chè, men nou te aprann nan pwòp soufrans nou: jistis ak lapè pa gen pri. Nou te pase nan menm soufrans Ayiti ap travèse jodi a. Nou te viv yon beny san ki te pi terib toujou pase sa pèp ayisyen an ap sibi kounye a. Nou konnen sa sa vle di: viv nan laperèz, pa fè politisyen konfyans, pa kwè okenn moun ki pwomèt l ap ede w. Paske pèsonn pa t vin ede nou, e moun ki te vini yo pa t gen bon entansyon nan kè yo.
Men nou te rive chape anba sa. Apre 200 lane soufrans, finalman n ap viv nan lapè, e jodi a nou se peyi ki gen plis sekirite sou kontinan an.
Nou pa vin ann Ayiti pou nou touche lajan, paske pèsonn pa peye nou pou sa. Nou vin ann Ayiti pou nou goumen kont mechan yo.
Men sa m ap mande nou: fè nou konfyans, lapriyè sèl vrè Bondye a, epi mande L pou L geri Ayiti.
“Lè sa a si pèp ki pote non m lan lapriyè nan pye m, si yo soumèt devan mwen, si yo pran chache m ankò, si yo vire do bay vye peche yo t'ap fè yo, m'ap tande yo nan syèl kote m ye a, m'ap padonnen peche yo, m'ap fè peyi a kanpe ankò.”
2 Kwonik 7:14
Ede nou ede Ayiti.
Epi lè misyon nou an fini, n ap tounen lakay nou. Petèt jenerasyon Ayisyen k ap vini yo ap sonje nou kòm zanmi ki te vin ede yon lè.
Remi retweeted
Thank you for the concession. You’ve conceded the core point: the British did not "artificially engineer" a people out of thin air; they encountered an existing civilizational cluster of related city-states (ilú) that already shared deep linguistic, spiritual, and cultural affinities
That admission undercuts your original thesis and raises some unavoidable questions:
1. On the invention of a people
You argue that CMS linguists and colonial administrators used standardization to "create" the tribe. But what Samuel Ajayi Crowther and the Saro intelligentsia did in the 19th century was not inventing a people. They took an ancient, existing civilizational continuum and gave it modern print infrastructure. This is exactly what intellectual elites were doing in Germany, Italy, Greece, and Bohemia during the exact same century. European writers unanimously acknowledge the peoplehood of the Germans and Italians long before their political unification. So why accept the Europeans' premise and deny the Yorubas'? Your position on this is a post-colonial constructivist narrative. Does it occur to you that in your bid to overextend this position to critique colonial manipulation, you have inadvertently accepted as epistemic the core premise of colonial historiography: that pre-colonial Africa was a formless, ahistorical void until European intervention gave it structure? In trying to critique colonialism, have you not ended up playing the insidious European game of assigning inferiority to African claims?
2. On the Exonym Claim
You argue that "Yoruba" was merely an exonym (originally applied to the Oyo) that was later universalized. Your argument assumes that because a single overarching linguistic signifier did not exist across the whole region, the collective group had no objective reality. But are self-assigned label a constitutive elements of an ethnicity? The French word for Germany is Allemagne, an exonym derived from a neighboring Germanic tribe. Many prehistoric populations like the Celts and Slavs did not have a common, self-assigned label until contact with an alien "Other" who gave them their common ethnic eponym. No serious scholar argues this invalidates their ethnicity. So, why do you uncritically accept this position when it comes to the Yoruba?
3. On the matter of rigid boundaries
You imply that pre-colonial identity was fluid, and the British created the "rigid boundaries." But fluidity implies the existence of a boundary that is being crossed or blurred. If a non-Yoruba person in the 18th century moved into an Oyo or Ijebu town, they had to adopt the local language, participate in the local religious rites, and subscribe to the local political hierarchy to be accepted. If there was no real Yoruba identity, what exactly were they assimilating into? Doesn't the very process of assimilation prove the existence of a distinct cultural and political boundary? Furthermore, did the Ijebu and Oyo, despite their geographical distance and distinct dialects, not share similar epistemic institutions and aspirational principles, to the extent that neighboring peoples recognized them as part of the same civilizational complex? What else should we call this civilizational complex that the stranger is being absorbed into other than the Yoruba ethnicity?
4. On 'distinct nation-states'
You claim the British turned "distinct" nation-states into one tribe. But if you admit there was profound affinity, what makes them distinct? Are you positing that an ethnic group must be entirely homogeneous, without regional variation, to have objective reality? If so, I would need an example.
Remi retweeted
A large 𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗴𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀-𝗯𝗲𝗮𝗱 [known as "𝗶𝘆𝘂̀𝗻" in Yorùbá language] dug up at Ìta-Ìdio, Ifẹ̀ on July 15th 1963
See: Frank Willett, "The Art of Ife," (2004), T842.
𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲-𝟮 shows my 'computational restoration' of this 𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗴𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀-𝗯𝗲𝗮𝗱 (=𝗶𝘆𝘂̀𝗻) back to what it looked like when the finished product was freshly made 𝗮𝘁 𝗜𝗳𝗲̣̀ centuries ago. This restoration captures the unique "𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗿-𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁" that made Ifẹ̀'s glass famous in West Africa; from Borno to Mauritania.
————
NB: The terracotta beaded-torso quoted below is noted (by Frank Willett) to still show some "𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁"; indicating that the woman captured in the artifact wore 𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀 & Ifẹ̀'s 𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀.
Cheers!!!
A torso fragment of a Yorùbá woman from Ilé-Ifẹ̀. This woman was captured in terracotta, ca.1200.
———
Frames 1 & 2: Willett, "The Art of Ife," 2004, T127.
Frame 3: Yoruba bride of Ọ̀wọ̀ dressed in beaded attire derived ab-initio from this historic Ifẹ̀ attire.
For context, Benin kingdom was founded c.1200.
Cheers!!!
Remi retweeted
@CryptoMuse01 I will like to engage you on this.
Here is a question to start with:
If the Yoruba identity was merely an artificial colonial invention engineered for administrative convenience, what objective affinities led colonial administrators and CMS linguists to draw the boundary exactly where they did, rather than lumping everyone across the Niger and Benue into a single, much cheaper administrative unit?
Do you know how crazy it is that some of the tribal identities we are so fixated on were engineered by Oyinbo?
Let’s use the “Yoruba peoples” tribal identity as an instance.
The Yoruba tribal peoplehood was artificially engineered for easier colonial administration.
We were not a monolithic group. The Ẹkiti, Òndó, Ìjẹ̀bú, Ẹgba, Ìjẹ̀ṣà, Ìgbómìnà and others were not always “Yorubas.”
If you time-travelled to 1825 and insisted that an Ẹgba person was Yoruba, they might not only be confused — it is likely that they could be offended.
Treating Yoruba as an ancient, primordial tribe is anachronistic and historically indefensible.
It is well documented that the word “Yoruba” was an exonym — a tag given by outsiders. Ahmad Baba of Timbuktu used “Yariba” around 1613–1615 for the Oyo. Northern traders (Hausa and others) applied it specifically to the Oyo peoples.
In fact, there is no evidence of self-use of the word Yoruba by the precolonial Oyo peoples themselves as a broad ethnic label, and none whatsoever among the non-Oyo groups.
During the Kiriji Wars (1877–1893), the Ẹkiti-Parapọ alliance (Ẹkiti, Ìjẹ̀ṣà and allies including elements of Ìjẹ̀bú, Ẹgba, Ìgbómìnà and others) fought the Ibadan military state (heir to Oyo imperial power) for autonomy. It was not Yoruba fighting Yoruba — they were independent nations fighting to protect their sovereignty.
So how did everyone become Yoruba?
The colonialists homogenized all of us by mechanically standardizing the Ọ̀yọ́-Ìbàdàn speech into a uniform, artificial written language called Yorùbá Àjùmọ̀lò.
Samuel Ajayi Crowther’s 1843 Vocabulary of the Yoruba Language (and subsequent Bible work) was based on the Oyo dialect. To save money on printing Bibles and schoolbooks, European recategorized distinct languages as “local dialects.”
Then, through Lord Lugard’s Native Authority system after the 1914 Amalgamation (formalized in the Native Authority Ordinance of 1916 and later revisions), the British state turned this missionary work into a tool of governance.
Our ancestors became stuck in rigid “tribal” census categories, they appointed standardized rulers to collect taxes, and turned sovereign citizens of independent city-states and republics into predictable, manageable colonial subjects.
Yes, this identity is real today. But its reality is relatively modern, administrative, and politically charged, not primordial.
Many of us mistakenly wear our tribal identity as though it were a sacrosanct, eternal or primordial delineation: it is not.
Like the Yoruba tribal categorization, many others are just neat little folders they fostered to organize us.
If it was a bond formed for your enemy’s convenience, then it is malleable enough to be reformed for strategic survival, defense, and collective prosperity.
Remi retweeted
The video is very real, I promise you. Also, I want you to know that this is not the first time that young man is making that terrorist chant. As at the moment I'm writing this tweet (10:29pm, 26/10/2026), there's another video currently on his Tiktok page where he's singing the same song.
Check it out yourself: vt.tiktok.com/ZSg4qDnsR/
