Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has been removed from the federal government’s wanted list following interventions by prominent Yoruba traditional rulers, according to his spokesman, Olayomi Koiki.
Koiki disclosed that all necessary arrangements have now been finalised for Igboho’s return to Nigeria after influential monarchs appealed to President Bola Tinubu on his behalf.
He said the traditional rulers involved in the mediation 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 the country on July 1, 2021, after security operatives comprising personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Army raided his residence in Ibadan. The operation followed allegations that he was stockpiling arms and ammunition, amid his agitation against attacks on farmers by armed herders in the South-West.
During the raid, three of Igboho’s associates were killed, while 13 others were arrested. He escaped to the Benin Republic, intending to travel onward to Germany, but was arrested at the Cotonou Airport on July 19, 2021.
He was detained for more than a year before being released in March 2022. Under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, Igboho was declared wanted, denied access to a Nigerian passport, and had his bank accounts frozen, despite court rulings in his favour.
In 2025, during a visit to the Olugbon Palace in Orile Igbon, Surulere Local Government Area of Oyo State, Igboho publicly lamented his continued exile and appealed to President Tinubu’s administration to clear his name. He also made a similar appeal to the Olubadan of Ibadanland.
In a statement released on Sunday, Koiki said the Presidency has now formally cleared Igboho, paving the way for his return and reintegration into the country.
According to him, the development followed a recent visit by the Olubadan to President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
“This is a moment of celebration for Ibadanland and the entire Yorubaland. Chief Sunday Adeyemo has been cleared and is no longer being sought by government authorities,” Koiki said.
“With the support of our revered royal fathers — the Olubadan of Ibadanland, the Ooni of Ife, the Olugbon of Orile Igbon, and others — Chief Adeyemo is now free to return home. He is a free citizen and will soon be back in Ibadan.”
The statement also conveyed Igboho’s appreciation to President Tinubu, the South-West monarchs, and Yoruba communities at home and abroad for standing by him throughout his ordeal.
