The return of the embattled Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, to Nigeria is on schedule, according to his lawyer, Yomi Aliyu (SAN).
Igboho’s attorney stated that as long as he doesn’t continue his push for the secession of Yoruba from Nigeria, he shouldn’t have any issues upon returning to Nigeria, according to The PUNCH.
In an interview with journalists on Tuesday, Aliyu said “His(Igboho) return is in view, and it depends on the way he presents himself. If he is bent on organising a protest, calling for a nation within a nation, or causing unrest in the country, then that would be difficult.”
Igboho’s declaration of Yoruba Nation’s sovereignty in March 2021 caused significant controversy.
He initiated a campaign to expel killer herdsmen and kidnappers from the South-West states and subsequently urged Yoruba individuals residing in Hausa/Fulani or Igbo territories to relocate back to their homeland.
However, he left Nigeria in July 2021 when agents of the Department of State Services raided his home in Ibadan at night.
At least one person was killed in the incident, while some of his possessions were damaged.
The DSS asserted that during the raid on his flat, seven AK-47 rifles, pump-action guns, 5,000 rounds of ammunition, charms, and other weapons were found.
Igboho, on the other hand, refuted the allegation and proceeded to file a lawsuit against the DSS, seeking the enforcement of his fundamental rights.
In a court ruling on September 16, 2021, he was awarded N20bn in damages.
The Court of Appeal subsequently overturned the judgement in August 2022.
He was apprehended at Cardinal Bernardin International Airport in Cotonou, Benin Republic, as he was trying to escape to Germany.
Efforts made by the previous administration, under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, to extradite him back to Nigeria proved to be unsuccessful.
After Buhari’s departure from office and the installation of a new government, Igboho gained attention when a video of him went viral. In the video, he confidently stated his intention to return to Nigeria and expressed his determination not to be intimidated by anyone.
He stated that the government’s payment of N20bn as a result of the award justified his actions.
Igboho said, “I am coming back to Ibadan. I’m originally from Oyo State; I’m returning home. So, the Yoruba should not be afraid, and nothing will happen; nobody can make the other person afraid.
“My agitation was in place, and the question I asked the Nigerian government was in order, and the court justified my demands. Also, the N20bn the Nigerian government owes me will be paid.”
