Yoruba activist Sunday Igboho removed from wanted list after royal intervention

Olayomi Koiki, spokesman for Yoruba nation activist Sunday Adeyemo (popularly known as Sunday Igboho), has stated that all arrangements are finalized for his principal’s return to Nigeria.

This follows successful persuasion by prominent traditional rulers, leading President Bola Tinubu to remove Igboho’s name from the list of wanted persons.

The intervening monarchs included the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja; the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi; and the Olugbon of Orile Igbon, Oba Francis Alao, among others.

Igboho fled Nigeria on July 1, 2021, after a raid on his Ibadan residence by a joint team of the Department of State Services and the Nigerian Army, which alleged he was stockpiling arms.

The raid occurred amidst his campaign to evict armed Fulani herdsmen from the South-West following attacks on farmers.

During the operation, three of his aides were killed and 13 others were arrested.

He subsequently fled to Benin Republic, where he was arrested at Cotonou Airport on July 19, 2021.

After being detained for over a year, he was released in March 2022. Under the previous administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, Igboho was declared wanted, denied a passport, and had his accounts frozen despite favorable court rulings.

In 2025, during a visit to the Olugbon Palace, Igboho expressed frustration at his exile and appealed to President Tinubu’s administration to remove his name from the wanted list, repeating the appeal to the Olubadan.

Koiki, in a Sunday statement, declared that Igboho has now been cleared by the Presidency and “may return to the country at any moment and will be fully reintegrated after his clearance has been granted.”

The announcement followed a visit by the Olubadan to President Tinubu in Abuja.

“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. “With the support of our royal fathers… Chief Sunday Adeyemo is now free to return home. He is a free man and will soon be back in Ibadan.”

The statement also conveyed Igboho’s gratitude to President Tinubu, the South-West monarchs, and Yoruba people worldwide for their support.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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