By YORUBA Nation agitator, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has once again spoken about the midnight invasion of his Ibadan residence by security operatives, including the Department of State Services (DSS), on 1 July 2021.
Speaking during a visit to the Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III, at his palace in Ondo State, Igboho alleged that the attack was carried out with the intent to end his life.
“When my house was invaded, they wanted to kill me but failed. Some said my intestines were shattered, others said my leg was broken, but there was nothing of such. They fired guns at me repeatedly, but the prayers of you, my fathers, were answered,” he said.
According to him, the DSS operatives forcefully gained entrance into his residence and pointed a gun at his Personal Assistant, compelling him to lead them to Igboho’s room.
While recalling the invasion, Igboho said one of his trusted friends betrayed him by leaking sensitive information about his cat to the operatives.
He disclosed that the so-called ‘trusted’ friend had told the agents not to let the cat escape, which led to the security operatives killing the animal.
“When I opened the door of my room for them, they saw my cat on the bed. One of my friends, whom I had entrusted with the secret, had told them not to let the cat go.
“So they killed the cat and wrapped it with clothes like a corpse. They destroyed everywhere in the house and killed one of my brothers alongside another person before they left,” he narrated.
The raid, which led to the death of two people and the destruction of property, was met with outrage across Nigeria.
Prominent voices, including Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, faulted the Federal Government and described the invasion as unjustifiable. Soyinka insisted that Igboho deserved an unreserved apology from the authorities, while rights groups and socio-political leaders condemned the attack as a misuse of state power.
Also reacting, legal luminary and Founder of Afe Babalola University (ABUAD), Chief Afe Babalola, SAN, in an article in the Nigerian Tribune, described the invasion of Igboho’s residence as unconstitutional.
“Undoubtedly, the manner in which the joint security operatives carried out the raid on Sunday Igboho’s residence calls into question its legality.
“Without prejudice to the fact that I do not endorse agitation for the breakup of Nigeria, the fact remains that Sunday Igboho is a citizen of Nigeria and therefore enjoys certain fundamental rights enshrined in our Constitution,” he wrote.
Following the raid, Igboho fled the country and was declared wanted by the Nigerian government. He was later arrested in Cotonou, Benin Republic, while attempting to travel to Germany.
His detention attracted international attention, with supporters at home and abroad launching campaigns for his release.
He eventually spent about two years in custody in Benin Republic, during which he suffered personal loss as his mother passed away.
“My mother called me when I was in prison in Cotonou after spending about two years there. She asked if I believed Tinubu becoming president would free me. I said yes. She then asked if I knew anyone who could influence my release. I said no. She said if she went to God in prayer for my release, I would be free. I agreed. Unfortunately, she died the following day,” he recalled during his visit to the Olowo of Owo.
According to him, shortly after his mother’s death, the Benin Republic President ordered his release, allowing him to reunite with his family in Germany.
Igboho explained that the Nigerian government refused to release his passport, preventing him from returning home directly from Germany.
He revealed that the German authorities, through one of their ministers, later issued him a protection passport which has since allowed him to travel, though it does not confer the rights of a full national passport.
“He said he would give me a passport that belongs to Germany. That wherever I go, if anything happens, they won’t do anything to me but instead bring me back to Germany, and he gave me that passport. That is the passport I’ve been using to travel,” he said.
Despite that, he admitted the arrangement was not sustainable, stressing that his wish was to return to Nigeria.
Speaking at the palace of the Olowo, Igboho said his absence from the country had lasted about five years and that he was eager to return to contribute to tackling insecurity in the South-West.
“But why I came to meet you, Kabiyesi, is to ask how long I will continue this way. Nigeria is my motherland. It is about five years since I was chased from here. Tinubu is your son; you can convince him to free me. If not for the wanted tag on me, I would have come to Nigeria to face the insecurity confronting the South-West. I would have entered the bush and faced them,” Igboho pleaded with the monarch.
In his response, Oba Ogunoye described Igboho as a beacon of hope for his generation and future ones, urging him not to be discouraged by the challenges he has faced.
The monarch enjoined Igboho and his supporters to remain law-abiding amid ongoing challenges.
He assured him of continued support and called for peace and cooperation across South-West communities, noting that no region can achieve sustainable development without security.
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