Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, ALA Sunday Igboho, has regained freedom after over two years of incarceration in the Republic of Benin.
Igboho in a video clip announced his freedom and appreciating his supporters on social media platforms.
“I am now free to return to Nigeria and visit any country in the world,” he said.
“I have fulfilled all the legal conditions attached to my bail a few years back and I am coming home to Nigeria, my country of origin, any moment from now.”
“I can confirm to you that I am now free to come back to Nigeria. There is no legal encumbrance again,” he added.
Igboho as decked in white and seated on a plastic chair as he read out a prepared speech in the video clip circulating online on Sunday.
The freedom fighter “sons and daughters” of Yoruba all over the world for their support, and also singled out a leading figure of the Yoruba nation agitation, Banji Akintoye; Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, for their roles in securing his release.
He also acknowledged the sympathetic gestures he received over the death of his mother during his incarceration. He said that her body was still being kept in the morgue for him to return to give her a befitting burial.
Igboho’s struggle in January 2021 saw an issuance of a seven-day ultimatum to Fulani residents in Igangan in Ibarapa Local Government Area of Oyo State to leave to check kidnappings allegedly perpetrated in the area by herders linked to the ethnic group.
IGBOHO’S ACTIONS
– Burn down the house of the Seriki Fulani of Oyo State, Saliu Abdulkadri, in the community.
Became a target of the State Security Service (SSS) being aggressive in his campaigns against herdsmen accused of kidnapping in South-west states.
– Agitation for the Yoruba nation sovereignty.
– Attempts to liberate Yoruba people from attacks and being shortchanged in the Nigeria nation.
ACTIONS OF THE STATE
– SSS operatives invade Sunday Igboho’s house, located in Soka, Ibadan, capital of Oyo State at 1:00 a.m. on 1 July 2021.
– Spokesperson for the SSS, Peter Afunnaya said seven AK 47 rifles, pump action guns and 5,000 rounds of ammunition and other weapons were recovered from Igboho’s apartment.
– His vehicles, including his G-wagon, and Prado Jeep, and some valuable properties including furniture, and windows were destroyed.
– The SSS also admitted that two of Mr Igboho’s men were killed in the process while a security agent was shot in the right hand and hospitalised.
– Igboho said the weapons were not his and that security operatives planted ammunition in his house to implicate him.
– The secret police also declared Mr Igboho wanted.
– Igboho the Yoruba self-determination activist was arrested in neighboring Cotonou, Benin Republic, while trying to travel to Germany.
– A local newspaper in the neighbouring country, Banouto, quoted Beninise authorities as saying Mr Igboho was nabbed at Cardinal Bernardin International Airport in Cotonou.
– He was “disembarked from his plane, arrested by the Beninese police while he was trying to travel to Germany and then transferred to the Cotonou Criminal Brigade on 19 July 2021”.
On 17 September 2021, a judge of the Oyo State High Court awarded N20 billion cost “as exemplary and aggravated damage” against the State Security Services (SSS) over the invasion of Igboho’s residence on 1 July 2021.
(C) ControlTV 2023.
