The invasion of Soka, Ibadan, Oyo State home of Yoruba nation agitator Chief Sunday Adeyemo (aka Sunday Igboho) on July 1 and his arrest in Cotonou, Republic of Benin may have sent signals that he was in trouble, but his team remains in high spirit judging by the strength displayed by his close allies and the ongoing legal battle to secure his freedom, write SUNDAY OMONIYI and BISI OLADELE
Soka, a community on the outskirts of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, caught fame again in January when Chief Sunday Adeyemo (aka Sunday Igboho) took an unusual decision to confront killer herders terrorising residents of Igangan, an agrarian community in Ibarapa area of the state. As the news hit the national space through video clips showing Igboho leading his train of brave young men who defied all odds to sack the Seriki Fulani in the community Saliu Abdulkadri, residents of the entire Ibarapa community, heaved a sigh of relief from the weight of insecurity in their domain.
Igboho addressed an ecstatic mammoth crowd in the town, assuring them that he and his team were ready to confront those terrorizing them, as, according to him, an injustice in any Yoruba community is an injustice to all Yoruba. He left the community satisfied that Abdulkadri, who he accused of working with criminal herders kidnapping, robbing and killing residents, had been sacked from the community.
Addressing the youths, a visibly angry Igboho assured that herdsmen would be chased away from the town and entire Yorubaland for allegedly causing and promoting insecurity.
He enjoined Igangan residents to be calm, noting that normalcy, safety and security would soon return to the entire Yorubaland with his new move.
He explained that his visit was as a result of the frustration caused by the incessant killings, kidnappings, and destruction of farms allegedly carried out by criminal herdsmen in Ibarapaland, Igboho, Oyo State and the entire Yorubaland.
He said: “What is happening will not be limited to this place; we will drive out Fulani from entire Yorubaland. They want to be killing us. We will not accept this.
“They have been kidnapping us. They have been killing us. They have been robbing us. We don’t want you in our towns anymore. The hardship, sufferings and pains you have inflicted on us are enough. We don’t want you again.
“And I want to assure you people, all Yorubas and particularly residents of Oyo State, that there is no more danger. I swear to God Almighty, there is no more danger. With this one that we have started, by the grace of God and the forefathers of Yorubaland, it is not only in Oyo State that we will chase out the Fulanis out of the entire Yorubaland.”
Then he returned to his Ibadan home with fanfare while the entire Yoruba land rejoiced over new found freedom and celebrated the new deliverer. The attention of the world then turned to his Soka residence where he received different shades of visitors.
Shortly after, he declared his team’s intention to champion secession of Yoruba from Nigeria, stressing that it made no sense remaining in a country where Yoruba are treated like second-class citizens. He declared for Yoruba nation and took his campaign to other states in Southwest Nigeria. His rallies were well attended by thousands of supporters and admirers of his rare courage. Igboho dominated newspaper headlines and news reports on television, radio and online media. Social media platforms were also awash with his exploits. All these cast him in the mound of a hero.
But in the wee hours of July 1, operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) stormed his Soka residence. They attacked the sprawling house sitting on Temidire Street, killed two persons, vandalised the property and arrested 12 of his aides.
Then crowds of sympathizers gathered at the expansive house throughout the day and Thursday though Igboho was nowhere to be found. They were angry at the development while neighbours were still gripped with fear given the magnitude of bullet reigns the previous night.
But in a press conference at its headquarters in Abuja on Friday, DSS accused Igboho of stockpiling arms, explaining that it was the reason its personnel stormed his house in the night to arrest him and seize the said arms.
According to the secret police, items recovered from Igboho’s house include Seven (7) AK-47 assault rifles; Three (3) Pump Action guns; Thirty (30) fully charged AK-47 magazines; Five Thousand (5,000) rounds of 7.62mm ammunition; Five (5) Cutlasses, One (1) Jack knife, One (1) Pen Knife, Two (2) Pistol holsters; One (1) binoculars, wallet containing Five (5) US Dollars in one (1) Dollar denomination; local and international driver’s licences in his name, ATM Cards, and a German residence permit No. YO2N6K1NY bearing his name, among others.
Following the DSS’ claim, crowds quickly thinned out at Igboho’s house as neighbours and sympathisers stayed away, leaving only his aides. The attack also weakened Igboho’s layers of security around his house. The team of armed, stern-looking men guarding his gate faded. Only one or two men were left at the gate, and were unarmed at the time.
Though the usual buzz at the Soka junction on the Ibadan-Lagos expressway did not diminish throughout that Friday, Igboho’s residence, which is tucked in the heart of Temidire Street was deserted following the DSS announcement. Not only was the house deserted, the street was avoided by residents who feared that security operatives might return or arrest anyone on sight on the belief that they are Igboho’s supporters. They also feared that firing of gun might resume at any time which may generate stray bullets for residents. But a small number of Igboho’s followers remained in the house, discussing and watching the property.
But as the embattled agitator was arrested in Cotonou, Benin Republic on July 19 and the suits he instituted against the DSS and AGF in Ibadan and Abuja commenced, Igboho’s team began to show strength again. They have been attending court sessions in large number while underground plans are also said to be progressing on the agitation for Yoruba nation.
In the suit he filed at an Oyo State High Court against the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and the Department of State Security (DSS), Igboho is seeking N500 billion damages for invading his house in addition to 15 other orders of court. The prayers include an order restraining both respondents from arresting or harassing him. The judge granted the interim order at the commencement of hearing on August 4.
A visit to his Soka residence at the weekend showed that his team members who serve as guards are back. A group of six men kept watch at his Soka house at the weekend to ward off ‘enemies’. They wore stern looks as usual but were unarmed. With their presence, no unwanted person can try anything negative around the house. The gate was kept locked while passers-by kept a straight face as they navigate the street. The team’s strength seems to be back with members in high spirit.
Ten of his aides have also been released on bail by a federal high court while an Oyo State high court order restraining the DSS and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) from arresting or harassing Igboho is still active as at the time of filing this report. But the remaining two aides in DSS custody have been sued for terrorism.
In the suit dated August 31, 2021, the DSS, through its lawyer S.M. Bello, filed five terrorism charges against Noah Oyetunji and Amudat Babatunde.
The secret police alleged that Oyetunji was in possession of fire arms for terrorism-related activities while Babatunde promoted terroristic acts through her Facebook account.
Reacting, counsel to the detainees, Pelumi Olajengbesi, said: “The charges are baseless, vexatious, shameful and without limbs.”
Commenting on Igboho’s travails, his lead counsel Chief Yomi Aliyu (SAN) said the pain he is going through is not abnormal in a struggle for freedom or change. He posited that even if Igboho is defeated, thousand others will rise up because it is a cause they believe in, not just a flash in the pan. To him, there is pain for every gain
Aliyu said: “From the beginning of this self-determination struggle you will notice that the man (Igboho) has lost so many things including his business. He could no longer run his business as he used to do, and has no time for his family again. Most of his friends, especially politicians, who do not believe in Oduduwa nation have abandoned him.
“Sometimes I wonder why he picked me as his counsel. I have been his counsel for years but when his house was invaded, I thought I was the last person he would contact to defend him because on several occasions, I had warned him not to make himself a ready tool in the hands of politicians and people in the Diaspora.
“He was only interested in ensuring that Fulani bandits would not have upper hand in Southwest Nigeria. I thought he should concentrate on that mission because he actually has many influential Fulanis as friends and business partners.
“The first calamity was burning of his twin duplexes at Soka which was worth N300 million. It was a general belief that if no death was involved in the last invasion the invaders would have also been described as unknown gunmen likened to those who burnt his house. It is even one of the defence claims of some respondents in his case. They said unknown people invaded his house.”
On his attempt to escape to safety which was truncated in Benin Republic, the senior lawyer explained that his fundamental rights are being challenged by those who also believe that being citizens of a sovereign Nigeria is also their fundamental human right.
His words: “He ran away, thinking that he could get to a safe haven through Benin Republic but unfortunately, it is like going from frying pan to fire. ECOWAS protocols allow every citizen of member states up to 90 days free stay in any member state. Then one wonders how there can be an allegation of illegal entry leading to incarceration of a West African citizen in Republic of Benin.
“Under fundamental human rights, where your rights end is where others’ rights start. So, in exercising your rights, you can end up violating other people’s rights. There are some people in politics who believe that their right to be in the sovereign state of Nigeria is not negotiable. That is also a fundamental right. So, Igboho going into self-determination can never be acceptable to this set of people, hence his travails.
“Contrary-wise, Igboho too has the right to self-determination which is also a right under the African Chatter on Human and People’s Rights.”
Asked what blow Igboho’s travails have done to his team, the lawyer quipped: “You can only kill a messenger, not the message. If you kill Igboho, thousands of other Igbohos will rise up. A former Chief Justice of Nigeria Justice Fatai Williams once said: ‘When people are deprived of their fundamental rights, especially the right of expression, they will go underground and the long term effect of what they do underground is what manifests as revolution.’”
