A Pan-Yoruba group, Yoruba Koya Leadership and Training Foundation (YKLTF), has dragged the governors of Yoruba speaking Southwest states to a Federal High Court over worsening insecurity in the zone.

The suit filed at the Ibadan division of the Federal High Court is marked IB/CS/189/22.

Besides, the southwest geopolitical zone, governors of Kwara, Kogi and Edo states, are also sued because their states have substantial Yoruba-speaking populations.

In the suit filed by the group's lawyer, Tayo Douglas, the plaintiff said that it resolved to take the legal path due to the lackadaisical attitude of the governors towards the plight of the citizens in their respective states concerning security.

Those who instituted the suit on behalf of the group are Ayodeji Osibogun, Bisi Sowunmi, Ronke Okusanya, Olatokunbo Ogunbanjo, and Olakunle Osuntokun, who sued on behalf of themselves and the registered trustees of the Yoruba Koya Leadership and Training Foundation. The plaintiffs specifically asked the court for an "order compelling the Defendants to take all lawful and legal means necessary to protect the lives, dignities, personal liberties as well as the freedom of the people of the states from any acts of discrimination, domination and oppression by the local and foreign marauding herders, bandits and kidnappers who continue to terrorise, rape, maim, kill and kidnap the people of the said states daily without any inhibition.

Besides, they asked for an "order compelling the defendants to take every lawful and legal means necessary to protect their states and the farm lands therein from the encroachment and invasion of both local and foreign herders, bandits and kidnappers who have continued to prevent the people of the communities in the states from realizing their full potentials".

The defendants are the governors and attorneys-general of the Southwest states as well as Edo, Kogi and Kwara states.

In a 17 paragraph affidavit in support of the suit, the group averred that the Yoruba people are being subjected to incessant kidnapping, armed robberies, terrorism, banditry by both local and foreign invaders.

They noted that the suit is in line with the constitution of Nigeria and in the interest of the people of the Yoruba ethnic group with absolute rights as provided under the Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights to protect themselves and their means of livelihood from destruction by the foreign/local herders and bandits.

Deponent of the affidavit, Osibogun, noted that of recent, road travel through the states inhabited by the Yoruba people in Edo, Ekiti, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo had become dangerous due to incessant kidnapping, banditry and robbery being carried out by the foreign/local herders and bandits along the highways unchallenged.

No date has been fixed for hearing of the suit.