'I am an Emir, I am an igbo king': Oluwo challenges Nigerian leaders to embrace unity in diversity

The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi (Telu I), has issued a powerful challenge to Nigerian leaders, urging them to embrace the nation’s diversity as a sacred gift and to actively combat the greed and division fueling insecurity. 

Speaking at the Razornews Inter-Agency Cooperation Award ceremony, themed “Institutional Collaboration as a Tool for Counter-Terrorism and Crime” in Lagos, Oba Akanbi declared that leadership must transcend tribal barriers through tangible action.

The most distinctive part of the monarch's message was his insistence on adopting a pan Nigerian identity, revealing his personal practice of symbolically identifying with other ethnicities within his domain:

 "I dressed like an Igbo King, any Igbo man in my territory, I am his father. I dress like an Emir, any Hausa man in my territory, I am his Emir. If I have a Sokoto man in my son, I am a Sultan."

The Oluwo stressed that traditional rulers must serve as bridges, arguing that "love is lost in Nigeria," and calling on political and traditional leaders alike to urgently rethink their commitment to the national anthem's vision of unity.

The Oluwo connected the breakdown of national unity directly to corruption, highlighting how poor leadership breeds crime. He detailed the revolutionary reforms he implemented upon taking the throne to curb criminality in Iwoland as well to fight oppression and organized crime, Oba Akanbi dramatically revealed that he has not sold a single plot of land in his domain for industrial or personal use for 10 years, stating he only permits land allocation for public goods like universities.

He asserted that this non-oppressive model ensures peace, stating that bandits "cannot look at" his territory because the people who might otherwise aid criminals are treated as loved citizens rather than oppressed subjects.

 He challenged civil servants and politicians, stating, "Greed has killed in Nigeria because we are not our brother's keepers," and urged them to learn from his example of sacrificial leadership.

Setting a philosophical tone for his address, the Oluwo defined his view of kingship and the divine

 He defined the Yoruba concept of the King (Kabiyesi) as merely a representative of God Almighty, who is the true King holding heaven and earth.

 He urged Nigerians to stop looking for complex miracles, emphasizing that being alive, standing, and being able to speak is the miracle itself. "If you don't see miracle in me, then you don't see God," he stated.

The event, focused on inter-agency collaboration, was attended by high-ranking security officials, including representatives of the former Chief of Defence Staff, the Inspector General of Police, and the Deputy Commissioner of Police for Lagos State.