Monarchs Secure Igboho’s Return as Presidency Clears Him

Olayomi Koiki, spokesman for Yoruba nation activist Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has announced that all arrangements have been concluded for his principal’s return to Nigeria following his clearance by the Presidency.

Koiki said the development came after prominent South-West traditional rulers intervened and persuaded President Bola Tinubu to remove Igboho’s name from the list of wanted persons. The monarchs include 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 operatives of the Department of State Services and the Nigerian Army over allegations of stockpiling arms. The operation, which followed his campaign against armed Fulani herdsmen in the South-West, led to the death of three of his aides and the arrest of 13 others.

He was later arrested at Cotonou Airport in Benin Republic on July 19, 2021, while attempting to travel to Germany, and was detained for over a year before his release in March 2022. Under the administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, Igboho was declared wanted, denied a Nigerian passport, and had his bank accounts frozen despite favourable court rulings.

In 2025, during a visit to the Olugbon Palace in Orile Igbon, Oyo State, Igboho appealed to President Tinubu and key traditional rulers to facilitate his return from exile.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Koiki said Igboho has now been cleared and “may return to the country at any moment,” adding that he will be fully reintegrated following the approval. The announcement followed a recent visit by the Olubadan to President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, 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.

He also conveyed Igboho’s appreciation to President Tinubu, the South-West monarchs, and Yoruba supporters worldwide for standing by him throughout his ordeal.