From a joke to a tribal insult

Our generation might not have had its own Biafran war, but tribalism is here with us.

The words Yoruba Demon started like a joke on social media circa 2015 and has now become a tribal slur or insult.

A Yoruba demon is a young man of Yoruba origin, handsome and has a way with women. He is a seducer who lures women into his bedroom. He is said to be a playboy whose sole mission is to break the hearts of innocent women. He has a silver tongue, many girlfriends and an overactive sex life.

In Nigerian pop culture, the narrative has switched. Somehow along the way, infidelity is now synonymous to Yoruba men. Cheating is exclusive to men from the Yoruba tribe. It all started as bants online but now it a full blown diss.

The media has jumped on the craze with sites posting articles on how to be a Yoruba demon and TV stations having a Yoruba Demons playlist.

Tiwa Savage's marriage drama further cemented the belief that Yoruba men can't keep their pants to themselves. T-Billz and the edible catering phenomenon didn't help the cause of the modern Yoruba guy.

When it comes to dating, being Yoruba is a minus. There are a lot of Nigerian women (including Yoruba women) run away from Yoruba guys because they are "Yoruba demons."

The Yoruba demon is no longer a joke. It has become a tool by tribalists to slander Yoruba men.

Because we didn't have Biafra doesn't mean we are better than our parents in terms of tribalism. We are likely as bad as them. When we say 'Calabar women are sex machines', 'Igbo men can sell their mothers for money', and 'all Northerners are illiterates' these are stereotypes based on tribalism.

Yoruba men don't go around with sledge hammers breaking women's hearts. This is not the story online. Stereotype and tribalism have stopped creeping up on our timeline and have become trending topics.