By Maxwell Adeyemi Adeleye

Today, we celebrate a rare man. A leader. A father to a great movement. A pillar whose contributions to Yoruba land cannot be forgotten. My oga, Otunba Ayodeji Osibogun, CEO of Space FM (now Space Network), Otunba Obaloja of Ijebu land and the founding leader of the Yoruba Koya Leadership Training Foundation, turns 70 today 9th November.

Otunba Osibogun is a man who carries authority with humility. He is accessible, dependable, and always ready to lift the younger generation. He is a beacon of inspiration to everyone around him.

I met Otunba Osibogun in 2017, at a critical moment in Nigeria’s history, when the South, North, and East were demanding social, political and economic restructuring of the country. He needed a comrade who could serve as the organising secretary for the Yoruba Crusade and Agitation. Through a friend, Asiwaju Samuel Oloyede, I stepped in, and that became the beginning of our great journey together.

Those were the days when Fulani marauders were boldly claiming ownership of Yoruba land. Otunba Osibogun led the charge to defend our people, not with violence, but with something greater. He led with organisation, strategy, and the courage of true sons of Oduduwa. Under his guidance, we erected 93 billboards across Yoruba land—from Lagos to Kwara, Kogi, Delta, and Benin, every Yoruba boundary sites—clearly stating: THIS IS YORUBA LAND.

Through Yoruba Koya, we toured Yoruba territories with zero ammunition, relying only on our courage and traditional hunting kits. In Oyo Alaafin, Ogun State, Lagos, and Ado-Ekiti, we distributed raincoats, whistles, torchlights, and other essential hunting gears to the hunters to protect our people.

Over 500 hunters were equipped in Oyo alone. Governor Fayose joined us in Ado-Ekiti, where over 700 hunters stood united. Aare Onakakanfo, Gani Adams, late Dr. Femi Adegoke and Late Prince Goke Omisore of Voice of Reason (VOR), Professor ‘Banji Akintoye, Senator Femi Okunronmu, late Professor Tunde Fatunde, and many other prominent leaders stood gallantly with us.

Wherever marauders attacked Yoruba communities, we showed up. We supported the vigilantes. We strengthened local defenders. We protected our people. These are part of the front line legacies of Otunba Ayodeji Osibogun that we are celebrating.

Yes, we had internal issues, as every movement does. Divisions came and went. Some components, including myself, broke away to start the Yoruba Nation agitation. Yet, the truth remains: Otunba Osibogun is one of the front line 21st century pioneers of defending the Yorubas. His work laid the foundation many now build upon.

At 70, Otunba Deji Osibogun deserves to be celebrated not quietly, but loudly by Yoruba sons and daughters worldwide. His labour for our security, his leadership, his courage, and his sacrifices cannot be erased. He is testament that a true son of the Oduduwa soil is a leader and protector.

He is a man of the people. A bridge builder. A mentor. He is not perfect like every human creature but he is someone you can trust to stand with you, defend you, and connect you to the right doors without hesitation.

On behalf of the founding members of the Yoruba Koya Movement, the Yoruba Professionals Foundation (YPF), and the true Yoruba sons and daughters across the world, we honor Otunba Ayodeji Osibogun today as a legacy that will forever remain in the Yoruba history. Happy 70th birthday sir.

Maxwell Adeyemi Adeleye, the pioneer Secretary-General of Yoruba Koya Leadership and Training Foundation, writes from London, United Kingdom.