Yoruba Leader Warns of New Boko Haram-Linked Group

Sheikh Abdulrasaz Abdulazeez Ishola, the Grand Mufti of Yorubaland, expressed strong concerns regarding the emergence of a new Islamic group in South West Nigeria, which he warns could open the door to extremist influences similar to Boko Haram. Ishola stated that the newly launched group, the Authentic League of Imams, does not represent true Islamic leadership in the Yoruba region and described it as an imitation of long-standing recognized bodies of Muslim clerics in the South West.

The group was inaugurated on February 11-12, 2026, in Iwo and plans to expand its reach into Edo and Delta States, which Ishola argues do not belong to the traditional South West structure of Yoruba Muslim leadership. He emphasized that the Authentic League of Imams has existed since the early 1960s and has earned respect among chief imams across Yoruba land.

Ishola accused the founders of the new group of pushing a hidden agenda to align with northern Muslim organizations, potentially creating divisions. He warned that this movement could provoke religious crises and destabilize long-standing harmony among Muslims in the region.