Sunday Igboho returns to Nigeria accusing former president of trying to assassinate him

YORUBA Nation agitator Chief Sunday Adeyemo popularly known as Sunday Igboho has returned to Nigeria from his self-imposed exile which started off with the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari attempting to arrest him in Ibadan in 2021.

On July 1 2021, men of the Nigerian Department of State Security (DSS) raided Mr Adeyemo's Ibadan home, killing two of his aides and arresting 13 others. Although he managed to escape, his home was turned inside out with the DSS seizing items including his international passport, claiming he was stockpiling weapons.

Subsequently, Mr Igboho fled to the Republic of Benin and was arrested at Cotonou airport on July 18 2021 while trying to board a plane to Germany. However, the Nigerian authorities put pressure on their Beninoise counterparts to get Mr Igboho deported but as no formal charges were presented in court, all Benin Republic could do was keep him in detention.

On March 7 2022, the Beninoise authorities released Mr Igboho from custody and handed him over to Professor Banji Akintoye the president of Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide. He then lived in Benin Republic, lying low and staying out of the limelight, making no public appearances.

Last year, after President Bola Tinubu assumed office, Mr Igboho left Benin Republic for Germany where his family resides. he has now finally returned to Nigeria, accusing former President Buhari of attempting to assassinate him, saying he sent the DSS and soldiers to kill him in his house.

Mr Igboho said: “Buhari sent his soldiers and the DSS to arrest me in my house because I said Yorubas are not slaves to Fulanis but they can’t suppress us in our father’s land. Fulanis can’t stop our fathers and mothers from going to their farms and I’m back with the power of God and authority not that of man.”

He returned to Nigeria yesterday, ahead of his mother’s burial in the Saki area of Oyo State. Mr Igboho had been declared wanted by the DSS over his agitation for a Yoruba nation and allegations that he organised attacks on Fulani herdsmen accused of killing farmers across the southwest geo-political zone.