Operations Wetie: 60 Years After – Lessons from a Dark Chapter in Yoruba Land

By Seyi Babaeko

This year marks sixty years since the tragic episode of Operations Wetie shook Western Nigeria between 1965 and 2025. It stands out as one of the darkest periods in the political history of Yoruba Land and indeed the Nigerian federation. What began as political contestation during the 1965 Western Regional Elections quickly spiraled into chaos, arson, violence, and widespread destruction of lives and property. The word “Wetie,” meaning to douse with petrol and set ablaze, became a haunting metaphor for the extremes of political intolerance and brutality.

For a people celebrated for cultural refinement, intellectual leadership, and respect for order, the violence of Operations Wetie was a painful departure from Yoruba values. The breakdown of law and order, the burning of opponents, and the intimidation of voters not only destabilized the Western Region but also hastened the collapse of Nigeria’s First Republic. It created a climate of instability that paved the way for a succession of military interventions which would dominate the nation for decades.

Sixty years on, the memories remain vivid for historians and traumatic for survivors. Yet, the aim of remembering is not to reopen wounds but to distill lessons. Yoruba Land, with its significant role in Nigeria’s social and political development, must never again slide into fratricidal violence. Democracy can only endure where tolerance, dialogue, fairness, and respect for the ballot are preserved.

As we reflect on this history, the lessons are urgent and timeless:

Never again should political rivalry override brotherhood and peace.
Never again should elections be treated as war.
Never again should Yoruba sons and daughters shed blood in the name of politics.

The legacy we must pass to future generations is one of unity, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence. Yoruba Land should continue to be remembered as a beacon of cultural dignity, intellectual leadership, and political maturity rather than as a theatre of conflict.

In remembering Operations Wetie, we honor the victims, condemn the perpetrators, and, above all, recommit to a future where political differences are resolved by reason and dialogue, not by violence and fire.

Babaeko, MD/CEO, Absolute Security and Advance Protocol Ltd, writes from Abuja.
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