BY Becky Usman

Sunday Adeyemo, the prominent Yoruba nation agitator known as Sunday Igboho, has been released from detention by Beninese authorities, marking the end of a two-year legal ordeal.

Igboho announced his newfound freedom on Sunday, revealing that he was now legally permitted to leave Cotonou, the capital of Benin Republic, and return to Nigeria as well as travel to other countries.

“I am now free to return to Nigeria and visit any country in the world. I have fulfilled all the legal conditions attached to my bail a few years back, and I am coming home to Nigeria, my country of origin, any moment from now,” he conveyed in an interview with the Nigerian Tribune.

After two years of facing legal proceedings in Benin, Sunday Igboho has finally secured his liberty.

Sunday Igboho became a prominent figure in March 2021 when he declared the sovereignty of the Yoruba Nation. His movement aimed to address security concerns in the South-West region of Nigeria, particularly related to clashes with killer herdsmen and kidnappers.

Due to escalating tensions, Igboho fled Nigeria in July 2021 following a raid on his residence in Ibadan by the Department of State Services (DSS). The raid resulted in one fatality and the seizure of alleged weapons, although the Court of Appeal later overturned the charges in August 2022.

His troubles continued when he was apprehended at Cardinal Bernardin International Airport in Cotonou, Benin Republic, while attempting to flee to Germany. Despite efforts by the Nigerian government at the time, led by former President Muhammadu Buhari, to repatriate him, he remained in detention until now.