Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, is expected to return to Nigeria from self‑exile, The Nation has learnt, following the support of key traditional rulers who pushed for his full freedom and reintegration.
His spokesperson, Olayomi Koiki, disclosed that the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, played instrumental roles in securing Igboho’s clearance to return home.
Koiki said the intervention of the monarchs and other stakeholders in the South‑West helped clear the way for Igboho’s homecoming, though no specific date has been announced.
“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,” Koiki said.
He added, “With the support of our royal father, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Chief Sunday Adeyemo is now free to return home. He is a free man and will soon be back in Ibadan.”
More details on travel arrangements will be made public in the coming days, the spokesperson said.
In 2025, Igboho publicly lamented his prolonged exile, saying he was tired of staying away from home.
During a visit to the Olugbon of Orile‑Igbon, Oba Olusola Alao, in Oyo State, he appealed to President Bola Tinubu’s government to remove his name from Nigeria’s wanted list, insisting that he was not a criminal and should not be treated as one.
He said he had been declared wanted by the administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari over an unknown offence, which prevented him from using a Nigerian passport and accessing his bank accounts, despite favourable court rulings.
In the statement, Igboho’s camp expressed appreciation to President Tinubu, Yoruba monarchs across the region, and Yoruba sons and daughters worldwide for their support during his years away from home.
Igboho first gained national attention in January 2021, when he issued a seven‑day eviction notice to herders in Igangan, Ibarapa North LGA, Oyo State, following the killing of a prominent resident, Fatai Aborode.
His activism, particularly around security and rights for the Yoruba people, resonated widely but also drew government scrutiny.
On July 1, 2021, operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) raided his residence in Ibadan in an attempt to arrest him, resulting in a violent clash that left two of his associates dead.
Igboho fled to the Benin Republic, intending to board a flight to Germany, but was arrested on July 19, 2021, at Cotonou Airport. He was subsequently detained for nearly two years before his release in March 2022.
His arrest and detention sparked widespread outrage and protests across Nigeria, with many citizens calling for his immediate release.
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