Politics

Igboho makes appeal, says I’m not at war with Buhari or South-West governors

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Incarcerated Yoruba Nation activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari and governors in the South-West, saying his agitations were not aimed at the government.

In a New Year message through jis lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, Igboho who is currently languishing in a prison in Benin Republic, said he was not at war with Buhari or the governors, as his only crime was asking the authorities to address the causes of his agitations.

In the message posted on Olajengbesi’s Facebook page on Friday night, Igboho, urged the President Buhari-led Federal Government to address the genesis of his agitation, explaining that the root of his agitation was the insecurity suffered by the people of Ibarapa area in Oyo State.

In the message, Igboho lamented that the Buhari government failed to resolve the security challenge in the South-West which led to his crying out in the first place.

Part of Igboho’s New Year message reads:

“Let it be abundantly clear that I am not at war with President Buhari, South-West state Governors or anybody in government.

“What I want the government to do is address the genesis of my agitation for a Yoruba Nation.

“The genesis is the insecurity in Ibarapaland and other places in the entire Yorubaland where farmers are habitually maimed, hacked to death, kidnapped and raped as if there are no security agents in the country.

Everybody deserves to be protected and ought to feel safe in their country regardless of their tribe, religion or political leaning.

“At some point, our people became helpless and could no longer go to their farmlands again.

“Scores of farmers were butchered to death in 2021 and the government pretended that all was okay.

“No, this must not continue and this was why I rose to stop the menace. I did not speak up to fight government, I spoke up to ensure the protection of my people and land.

In 2022, the government must rise up and put an end to the havoc caused by herdsmen that are criminals and give everyone a sense of belonging – whether foreigners or locals – and stop the attack on my people in Yorubaland.

“I am not selfish and this has never been about me. I am more concerned about the helpless citizens who buried their loved ones to aimless killings in 2021 and I pray that the Almighty God through divine intervention stops the killings of innocent people in Nigeria in 2022 and beyond.

“In 2022, it would indeed be to my greatest satisfaction to see my people live without fear and with the confidence that their lives matter if no place else, then in their own homes, lands and farms. This is my abiding hope for my people, so help me God.”

Politics

Obasanjo meets Beninese President, reportedly seeks asylum for Igboho

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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has met the Beninese President, Patrice Talon, in a bid to get a soft landing for the self-professed Yoruba freedom fighter, Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho, who is standing trial in the country, TheCable reports.

Igboho, who was arrested in Cotonou over two weeks ago, is standing trial for alleged illegal possession of a Beninese passport and other charges at a court in the tiny West African nation.

The Department of State Service (DSS) had on July 1 declared the activist wanted over alleged illegal possession of seven AK-47 rifles and 5000 rounds of ammunition among others following raid on his Ibadan, Oyo State, home.

Diplomatic sources told the online platform that Obasanjo travelled to Zanzibar, an island in Tanzania, on August 1 and rerouted to the Benin Republic.

The ex-President, according to the sources, travelled to the Benin Republic under the guise of condoling with the country’s former leader, Nicephore Soglo, who lost his wife recently.

The duo had maintained a very cordial relationship over the years.

Former President Obasanjo travelled to Zanzibar on August 1, perhaps to conceal his trip; he rerouted to Benin Republic.

“He was to condole with former President Soglo who recently lost his wife,” one of the sources said.

Another source confirmed that Obasanjo asked the Benin Republic government to grant asylum to Igboho in the country.

“He (Obasanjo) met with Patrice Talon. The purpose of the meeting was to seek soft-landing for Sunday Igboho.

“He’s asking the Beninese authorities to grant the separatist leader asylum, and not to return him to Nigeria.

“The former President intervened at the request of some South-West leaders,” he stated.

Politics

BREAKING: Court stops DSS, Malami from arresting Igboho, blocking his bank accounts

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An Oyo High Court has granted an ex-parte motion restraining the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and Department of State Security (DSS) from arresting the Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo aka Igboho, and blocking his bank accounts.

Justice Ladiean Akintola, who gave the order on Wednesday, also granted the ex-parte motion restraining the DSS and AGF from intimidating and harassing Igboho following an ex-parte motion moved by his lawyer, Yomi Aliu (SAN).

The motion developed from the originating motion seeking N500 billion damages for invasion of his house in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on July 1.

Aliu expressed confidence that Malami will not disobey the court order, noting that it was given directly against his office.
The court adjourned the suit to August 18, 2021.

Entertainment

Igboho denies Oluwo’s claim he is ready to drop Yoruba Nation agitation

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The Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Igboho, has denied alleged plans that he would drop his agitations and go for dialogue with the federal government.

Reacting on Saturday night to a statements credited to the Oluwo of Iwo in Osun State, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, that Igboho would drop his agitations, and that he (Oba) would bring him to Abuja for peace talks, the spokesman of the activist, Olayomi Koiki, said there was no recent contact between the monarch and Igboho.

The Oluwo had in a letter to President Buhari on Friday, pleaded for Igboho to be forgiven and asked that the order for his arrest be ‘slowed down’ to enable him (oba) to bring him to Abuja.

He noted that he was confident that Igboho would drop his agitation for the creation of a Yoruba nation, saying, “He has pledged his readiness to listen to us.”

Furthermore, he stated, “I promise your Excellency that Igboho will mind his steps henceforth. He has suffered a lot. He would step down agitations. I will bring him for a peace talk at an appropriate time.”

However, Koiki denied that Igboho was about to drop the agitation for the Yoruba nation.

Also, the Presidency itself appeared to have played down the request of the monarch as a source had said only the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force, and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, can determine Igboho’s fate.

Speaking in an interview with The Nation on Saturday, Koiki, said he was not aware of any contact lately between Oba Akanbi and Igboho, but admitted that Igboho visited the oba in 2018 to reciprocate a similar visit by the traditional ruler to the activist.

He explained that it was at the occasion in the Oluwo’s palace that the photograph of Igboho prostrating for the oba, now trending on social media, was taken.

“The news that Chief Sunday Adeyemo visited the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi is not true.

“The 2018 picture was taken during a return visit after he (Oluwo) came to chief’s house,” Koiki said.

He insisted that Igboho has also not dropped his agitation for the Yoruba nation, noting that any claim to the contrary is a lie.

He promised to give a comprehensive response soon by way of an audio message.

Politics

IPOB tags DSS raid on Igboho’s home as ‘barbaric’, declares solidarity

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The proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has condemned the raid on the country home of the Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo popularly called ‘Igboho’, by operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS), describing the incident as “barbaric” and “unacceptable”.

Ripples Nigeria reported that the DSS had in the early hours of Thursday, July 1, raided Igboho’s residence at the Soka area of Ibadan, Oyo State, after which they allegedly recovered some arms and ammunitions, and also paraded some members of the group as suspects.

In a statement on Friday by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, the group said the attack was an “act of impunity”.

The statement read, “We the global family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) ably led by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu condemn the recent attack and massacre of peaceful and unarmed citizens of Odua people in the House of Sunday Ighoho at his country home in Ibadan Oyo state.

“Sunday Igboho has not killed anybody. The Nigerian government and her security operatives invaded his home and kidnapped his innocent women in the house for the proposed rally in Lagos on Saturday 4th of July 2021.

“Fulani and their collaborators are trying to bring catastrophe in Nigeria. They are trying to plunge Nigeria into a serious crisis that will consume everybody. They should stop taking the indigenous nations in Nigeria for granted. Enough of this impunity!”

The group declared solidarity for Igboho and the Yoruba nation agitators, saying that its members across the world are solidly behind Sunday Igboho and the Odua Nation Movement.

The attack on Igboho is akin to the attack they unleashed on the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi on September 14, 2017, when the military Python danced in his country home.

“It’s very appalling that the Nigeria security agencies are aiding and abating criminal Fulani herdsmen, Boko Haram, ISWAP, and other terror groups to kill innocent citizens in Nigeria while suppressing those genuinely defending their people.

“Nigeria will soon regret their actions towards the Southern Nigeria and Middle Belt region. The whole southerners in the army, police, DSS, and the security outfit in Nigeria must understand that this fight was brought to their homes by Fulani Jihadists. Nobody should think that things are still normal. Very soon all Christians will be forced to convert to Islam. It’s part of their agenda.

But IPOB is working tirelessly to stop this evil agenda. And we must do it for the betterment of unborn children in this land. Now is the time for the entire Southern Nigeria and Middle Belt to unite and defend their ancestral land otherwise we become slaves to the jihadists. But God forbid!” the statement added.

Meanwhile, IPOB is still saddled with its challenges, as it has had its share of the Federal Government’s wrath.

Ripples Nigeria reported that the intelligence unit of the Nigerian security operatives recently re-arrested the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who jumped bail in 2017 and left the country

Politics

Igboho recants, insists rally for Yoruba Nation must hold in Lagos

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Agitator for Yoruba Nation, Sunday Igboho has made a volte-face over the rally scheduled for Lagos State on Saturday.

Ripples Nigeria had reported that Igboho announced the suspension of the rally after a raid by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) on his Ibadan residence.

Also, the Lagos Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu warned Igboho and other agitators not to stage any rally in Lagos.

He stated that anyone caught participating or facilitating the rally would be dealt with according to the law.

However, Igboho’s spokesman, Olayomi Koiki explained on Friday, that the rally will go as planned at Ojota, adding that Igboho will be back stronger.

He said: “I can still confirm officially that the Lagos rally in as much as whatever news or rumours you’ve been listening to from different outlets, will go as planned

The 3rd of July Mega rally will go as planned. All arrangements for the rally has been planned and nothing has changed.

I have spoken to the organisers, nothing has changed so far. 3rd of July from exactly 9:00 am in the morning. The whole arrangement and planning is going on.”

“I’ve spoken with the General Secretary of Ilana Omo Odua, George Akinola, and also in the early hours before noon, I spoke with Banji Akintoye and he is working tirelessly for the release of those taken away.

“The rally in Lagos is going to be a peaceful rally, it is going to be a mega rally, do not be disturbed about what happened. So many development took place at Igboho’s house.

“We might get a form of a video from Igboho about the Lagos rally, which might be released, we’ll be deciding that in the next 24 hours.”

Politics

Igboho suspends Lagos Yoruba nation rally after attack, wife’s kidnap

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Yoruba rights activist, Sunday Adeyemo also known as Igboho, has suspended the Yoruba Nation rally which was scheduled to hold in Lagos on July 3.

Over the past few months, rallies had been held in parts of South-West with that of Lagos scheduled for Saturday.

However, Igboho in an interview with BBC News Pidgin on Thursday, disclosed the rally in Lagos has been suspended.

Igboho made this known hours after his house in Ibadan, Oyo State, was attacked by gunmen who reportedly killed two persons and abducted his wife.

He explained that he took the decision to cancel the Lagos rally because of safety and security issues.

Politics

Igboho replies OPC, expresses confidence in Fani-Kayode to defend Yorubaland

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Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho on Thursday, March 11, revealed his utmost confidence in former Minister of Aviation Femi Fani-Kayode over his staunch defence of Yorubaland.

His comment may not be unconnected with the exchange of words between Fani-Kayode and the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) over whether or not the suspected Fulani warlord Iskilu Wakili in police custody is the authentic person wanted for alleged killings and abductions.

Fani-Kayode had stated that the Wakilu arrested last Sunday by OPC operatives is not the notorious gang leader terrorising the Ibarapa area of Oyo State.

However, the OPC had accused him of seeking undue relevance and prominence.

But Sunday Igboho, in a statement by his spokesman Olayomi Koiki, said he has no problem with anyone who supports the agitation for the Yoruba nation.

He said: “Anyone who is willing to support the agitation for the Yoruba Nation is highly welcome, the goal is ‘YORUBA NATION NOW’.

We know what we want and no going back. Every other side talk is nothing but a distraction. We are fully focused, YORUBA NATION is the goal.

“Let me reiterate, anything you did not hear from I, Sunday Adeyemo (Igboho) or my spoke person Olayomi Koiki of Koiki Media is not a fact.

“Chief Femi Fani-Kayode is one of the stakeholders that identifies with us on the struggle of Yoruba Nation agitation.

“He can give his own advice at any time as regards the agitation and there’s no reason to doubt him. We have a 100 percent confidence in him.

Let’s not talk with envy. We must unite and stay strong in one voice. Therefore, we want to identify with Chief Femi Fani Kayode and any other person that stands for the Yoruba race irrespective of their religion or political party affiliation. Thank you and God bless”.

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