IBADAN – Barring any unforeseen contingency, arrangements have been concluded for the return of Yoruba nation activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, to Nigeria after four years in self-exile, his spokesperson, Olayomi Koiki, has disclosed.
According to a statement issued by Koiki, Igboho’s planned return followed the intervention of prominent traditional rulers in the South West, particularly the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja; the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi; the Olugbon of Orile Igbon, Oba Francis Olushola Alao, among others.
The statement added that the Yoruba nation agitator could return to the country at any moment, having reportedly received clearance from the Presidency, and would be fully reintegrated upon his arrival.
It recalled that Igboho fled Nigeria on July 1, 2021, following the invasion of his Ibadan residence by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and personnel of the Nigerian Army over allegations of stockpiling arms and ammunition. During the operation, three of his aides were killed while 13 others were arrested.
However, the statement hinted that in 2025, Igboho, during a visit to the palace of the Olugbon of Orile Igbon in Surulere Local Government Area of Oyo State, lamented his prolonged stay in exile and appealed to the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government to remove his name from the wanted list.
The statement noted that the immediate past administration of late President Muhammadu Buhari had declared the activist wanted, restricted his access to a Nigerian passport and froze his bank accounts, despite court judgments in his favour.
It reads: “This is a moment of joy for Ibadanland and Yorubaland as a whole. Chief Adeyemo is now cleared to return to Nigeria and is no longer being sought by government authorities.
“With the support of our royal father, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, the Ooni of Ife, Olugbon of Orile Igbon and others, Chief Sunday Adeyemo is now free to return home. He is a free man and will soon be back in Ibadan.”
While expressing Igboho’s appreciation to President Bola Tinubu, the statement also lauded other South West monarchs, as well as Yoruba sons and daughters across the world, for their support throughout his ordeal.
Following the invasion of his Ibadan home on July 1, 2021, Igboho fled to the Benin Republic, from where he planned to travel to Germany. He was arrested on July 19, 2021, at the Cotonou Airport while attempting to board a flight to Germany and was detained for over a year before his release in March 2022.
