The Yoruba Nation agitator and activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho has revealed why he couldn’t escape arrest in Benin Republic like he did in Nigeria.
Recall that Igboho and his wife, Ropo, were arrested on Monday, July 19, 2021, by the International Criminal Police Organisation at the Cadjèhoun Airport in Cotonou, the Republic of Benin on their way to Germany.
Ropo, however was released days after her arrest and has since returned to Germany
Sunday Igboho was trying to avoid arrest by officials of the Nigerian Department of State Services, which had declared him wanted.
DAILY GIST had reported how Ighoho’s house in Soka area of Ibadan, Oyo state was attacked by the operatives of DSS.
Speaking in an interview with The PUNCH on his views on multifarious issues ranging from political, sociological to metaphysical, especially how he escaped the midnight raid by operatives of the Department of State Services on July 1, 2021 at his Soka, Ibadan residence in Oyo State and how he was arrested by the Interpol at Cadjèhoun Airport in Cotonou, Benin Republic around 8pm on July 19, 2021.
Did he really turn into a cat as widely speculated? These questions including his experience in prison custody in Cotonou for eight months, life as a free man, among others.
Igboho hosted his guests and regaled them with stories of his engaging encounters with politicians, security agencies and louts.
“I am going back to Nigeria soon,” he said around 10pm after a long silence.
“How soon? Are you worried that you might be arrested by the DSS which earlier declared you wanted?” I asked but the Yoruba Nation campaigner dismissed it, referring to a September 2021 judgment by Justice Ladiran Akintola of an Oyo State High Court which declared the action of the DSS illegal, “arbitrary aggression and prejudices” and awarded N20bn damages against it.
“I believe in the judiciary,” he said.
Igboho mourned his personal loss including the brand-new vehicles in his Ibadan house vandalised by bullets fired by security operatives who attacked his residence. According to him, a Mercedes Benz worth N55m, three Hilux worth N17m each, G-Wagon of N48m, among others were destroyed by the security agents who stormed his residence and killed two aides on July 1, 2021.
Reminiscing on the bloody midnight raid on his house, Igboho said the secret police and other security operatives that stormed his residence had the intention to kill him but “God doesn’t leave his own.”
Igboho added, “My wife (Ropo) was detained at the (Cadjèhoun) Airport for about two hours. They were ready to hold onto her if I didn’t show up. Then I showed up and the security agents handcuffed my hands and legs. If I knew that could happen, I wouldn’t allow her to follow me to the airport. She had already obtained my travelling document from the German government and I would have asked her to go separately but God knew how everything went that way.”
Asked how he made it out alive during the DSS raid, Igboho instantaneously declined further comments. “It is not yet time to speak,” he said with an askance looks. He won’t respond to any of our correspondent’s questions afterwards as he became measured in his speech. “I will speak when it is time to speak,” he insisted despite entreaties.
