Lagos Is a Land of Law, Not Tribal Lords: A Rebuttal to the So-Called Yoruba Elders Progressive Council (YEPC)

BY BOLAJI O. AKINYEMI

I read with deep concern the unsigned and shameful document issued in the name of “Yoruba Elders Progressive Council (YEPC)” titled “Our Land, Our Identity: Lagos State Government Must Act Before We’re Made Strangers at Home.” It is unfortunate that in 2025, in a democratic Nigeria where the Constitution reigns supreme, some cowards cloaked in the name of Yoruba elders still find it acceptable to publish ethnic bile and incite division without the courage to sign their names.

As a proud Yoruba son, a senior citizen, and a disciple of the progressive school of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, I cannot keep silent while these masked agitators try to drag the Yoruba identity into the mud of tribal bigotry and reckless political opportunism.

Let me now respond, point by poisonous point, to their disturbing and dangerous narrative.

1. The Igbo Presence in Lagos Is Lawful, Not Provocative To suggest that Ndigbo are provoking anyone by living, working, or acquiring property in Lagos is contrary to the Nigerian Constitution. Lagos is not a tribal empire — it is a federated state within the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Every Nigerian has a constitutional right to live, own property, and vote in any part of the country. The suggestion that Igbos are “excessive, disrespectful and provocative” for exercising this right is not only false, it is evil. It is this same thinking that once led to pogroms, and eventually, civil war. Do we want to return to that dark path?
2. Property Ownership Is Not a Declaration of War The alarmist claim that the Igbos are buying up land in “clusters” to dominate Lagos politically is mischievous and misleading. Are we now criminalizing commerce and development? Is it only when Yoruba buy land that it is called investment, but when Igbos do, it becomes an ethnic threat? Let us be honest: Lagos thrives today be- cause of the inclusive spirit that allowed diverse people — Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Ijaw, Efik, foreigners — to bring their best to this city. To attack people for being industrious and successful is nothing but the politics of envy, not indigene interest.
3. “Co-ownership” Is a Constitutional Reality, not a Cultural Threat. The Constitution does not recognize “ancestral ownership” of federated states. The law recognizes citizenship, residency, and legality, not tribal roots. When Igbos — or anyone — say “Lagos belongs to all”, they are affirming constitutional truth, not rewriting history. No matter how loud YEPC shouts, they can- not wish away Section 43 of the Nigerian Constitution that guarantees every Nigerian the right to own immovable property anywhere in the country.
4. The Land Tenure Proposal Is Xenophobic and Illegal To propose that the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) for non-Yorubas be reduced from 100 years to 25 is not only illegal but ethnic apartheid disguised as policy. It is a direct attack on the Nigerian Constitution and cannot stand in any competent court of law. What will happen if Anambra or Enugu enacts the same policy against Yoruba living there? What happens to Yoruba traders thriving in Sabon Gari, Aba, Onitsha, or even in Accra and Johannesburg? Must they now be punished for the crimes of land ownership? This policy proposal reeks of the same mindset that once inspired Rwanda’s genocide.
5. Lagos Certificate of Origin Cannot Be Ethnically Weaponized The idea of revoking Lagos Certificates of Origin unless “lineage” is traced is a laughable descent into ethnic nativism. It violates every tenet of modern governance, federalism, and democratic equality. If Lagos wants to create a new form of tribal passport, then it must also create a new constitution — because the current one guarantees every Nigerian full citizenship rights wherever they live. This proposal is not only unworkable, it is dangerous. It sets Lagos on fire under the false guise of heritage protection.
6. “Legal and Cultural Safeguards” Are Not Justifications for Prejudice Using language like “guests claiming owner- ship of their host’s house” to describe fellow Nigerians is insulting, dangerous, and unpatriotic. The Igbo are not guests in Lagos. They are stakeholders — builders, contributors, citizens. Indigbo are Nigeria citizens residing in Lagos, with the right to vote and be voted for, they pay taxes, run businesses, and contribute to the State’s IGR. What else defines citizenship if not contribution?
7. The Call to Action Is a Call to Tyranny YEPC says Lagos must not become a “no-man’s land.” Let me respond clearly: Lagos is every-man’s land, as far as the Nigerian Constitution is concerned. The attempt to romanticize tribal dominance with words like “ancestral identity” and “cultural preservation” is simply the old wine of ethnic supremacy in a new bottle.
8. On History and Heritage: Stop the Weaponization of Culture

History should enlighten, not inflame. Lagos was built by the collective sweat of many. From the Benin kingdom’s influence to the Awori and Ijebu settlers, the Brazilian returnees, to the colonial powers — Lagos has always been cosmopolitan. The Yoruba are foundational to Lagos, but not exclusive owners of its future. Any group that claims otherwise seeks to build walls in place of bridges.