Writer and Yoruba Culture Advocate Says His Life, Liberty and Health Are at Risk
Abeokuta-based writer, public analyst, social commentator and Yoruba rights advocate Adedamola Adetayo has sounded a grave alarm over what he describes as sustained police harassment, procedural abuse, and a dangerous summons that puts his life at risk, following his writings on Yoruba identity, cultural preservation, and Yoruba political interests.
Adetayo, a vocal adherent of the Yoruba self-determination movement and a leading proponent of the “Think Yoruba First” ideology, says the last four weeks have exposed what he believes is a deliberate attempt to intimidate, silence and physically endanger him for expressing opinions rooted in Yoruba advocacy.
A Phone Call That Changed Everything
According to Adetayo’s detailed testimony, the ordeal began on Thursday, 27 November 2025, when he received a call from an unfamiliar number. The caller identified himself as Inspector Shaibu Omachonu, claiming to be attached to the Life Camp Division of the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja.
The officer allegedly informed Adetayo that the police were acting on a petition and a supposed court directive mandating an investigation into allegations of criminal defamation. The complaint, he was told, purportedly originated from Olusola Oke, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and a politician from Ondo State.
What shocked Adetayo most, he says, was not merely the allegation, but the manner in which the police chose to proceed.
No Petition, No Court Order, No Transparency
Despite repeated requests, Adetayo states that the investigating officer refused to provide a copy of the alleged petition, court order, or any formal document explaining the basis of the summons. Instead, he was repeatedly instructed verbally to report in person to the Life Camp Police Division in Abuja.
For Adetayo, this raised immediate red flags.
“How do I respond to an allegation I have never seen?” he asked. “Why must I travel blindly, at my own expense, to answer a complaint whose contents are hidden from me?”
Forced Travel Through Dangerous Kidnap Routes
At the time of the summons, Adetayo was in Abeokuta, Ogun State, hundreds of kilometres from Abuja. Unable to afford air travel, he attempted the journey by road on two separate occasions.
Both trips were aborted after he received credible security alerts about kidnappings and violent attacks along the Kabba–Lokoja–Abuja corridor, a route widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most dangerous highways.
Adetayo questioned why the police insisted on Abuja when statements could lawfully be taken in Abeokuta, Ibadan, Lagos, or through legal representation, particularly in a country with a unitary police structure.
Late Written Invitation and Festive-Season Fears
It was only on 15 December 2025, weeks after the initial call and following pressure from his legal team and after a suit had been filed at the Federal High Court Abeokuta for the enforcement of his fundamental human rights that Adetayo received a written police invitation.
The timing, he said, deepened his fears.
Issued during the Christmas season when court sittings are often limited, Adetayo believes the invitation may be designed to facilitate prolonged or indefinite detention without immediate access to bail or effective judicial oversight.
Health Conditions Heighten the Risk
Adetayo disclosed that he suffers from hypertension and asthma, conditions supported by medical reports. He warned that long-distance road travel, physical stress, or prolonged detention could pose serious, potentially fatal health risks.
He also alleged that the Life Camp Police Division has a reputation for human rights abuses, and that the investigating officer appears biased and compromised before hearing his side of the story.
Court Action and Fear of Defiance
In response to what he describes as escalating intimidation, Adetayo approached the Federal High Court in Abeokuta, where a pro-bono lawyer filed a suit seeking enforcement of his fundamental rights to dignity, liberty and personal safety.
Despite the pending court action and service of processes, Adetayo fears the police may ignore judicial authority, citing past cases where citizens were detained despite subsisting court orders.
Yoruba Advocacy at the Core of the Dispute
At the centre of the controversy are Adetayo’s writings on Yoruba cultural survival, including commentary on polygamy, inter-ethnic marriages, and the preservation of Yoruba identity in a multi-ethnic Nigeria.
He insists his writings were not intended to defame or harm anyone, but to stimulate debate on issues many Yoruba people already discuss openly in public spaces and online.
“These are ideological arguments about identity and survival,” he said. “They are protected opinions, not crimes.”
Fear of a Vindictive Clampdown
Adetayo believes the case reflects a wider pattern of using criminal defamation and police summons to intimidate writers, activists and cultural advocates. He suspects the move against him is vindictive, aimed at punishing his sustained Yoruba advocacy rather than pursuing justice.
Describing himself as “a little David standing before a terrifying Goliath,” Adetayo says he lacks political power, wealth or institutional backing, making him vulnerable to abuse.
A Chilling Warning to the Public
Adetayo believes the case reflects a wider pattern of using criminal defamation and police summons to intimidate writers, activists and cultural advocates. He suspects the move against him is vindictive, aimed at punishing him for his sustained Yoruba advocacy rather than pursuing justice.
He stated that his testimony was being placed on record in case anything untoward happens to him, adding that responsibility would rest squarely with the police authorities involved.
Growing Calls for Accountability and Intervention
As the story spreads, civil society actors and activists are calling for scrutiny of the Nigeria Police’s conduct, warning that intimidation of ethnic and cultural advocates undermines democracy, free expression and national stability.
Observers say the case raises urgent questions about police accountability, abuse of power, and the shrinking space for dissenting voices in Nigeria, with renewed appeals for oversight from the presidency under Bola Ahmed Tinubu and intervention by local and international human rights organisations.
For Adedamola Adetayo, the issue is no longer just about a police invitation.
“It is about whether a Nigerian can speak about his people, his culture and his fears—without fearing for his life.”
