LAGOS, Nigeria — Sunday Adeyemo, the prominent Yoruba Nation agitator known as Sunday Igboho, has suffered a personal tragedy while in exile: the death of his mother.
The announcement was made via a Twitter post from Olayomi Koiki, Igboho’s spokesperson, on Saturday, July 22, 2023.
Breaking News
KOIKIMEDIAI can confirm today Saturday 22nd of July 2023 that
Dr Chief Sunday Adeyemo (aka Sunday Igboho) mother died.May her gentle soul rest in peace 🙏 🪦
Olayomi Koiki
Spokesman for
Chief Dr Sunday Igboho pic.twitter.com/z0K7i5aUSh— KOIKIMEDIA (@KoikiMedia) July 22, 2023
“I can confirm today Saturday 22nd of July 2023, that Dr. Chief Sunday Adeyemo (aka Sunday Igboho) mother died,” Koiki tweeted. The cause of her death remains undisclosed.
Adeyemo, who has been living in exile since 2021, was unable to visit his mother before her death, and it is unclear whether he will be able to return to Nigeria for her funeral.
He hails from the town of Igboho in Oorelope local government area of Oyo state.
Adeyemo has become a central figure in Nigeria’s complex tapestry of ethnic tensions and separatist movements.
In March 2021, he declared the sovereignty of the Yoruba Nation and initiated a campaign against herdsmen and kidnappers in the South-West states, calling for Yoruba people living in Hausa/Fulani or Igbo territories to return home.
However, his activities led to a contentious clash with Nigerian authorities.
In July 2021, operatives of the Department of State Services raided his residence in Ibadan, resulting in at least one death and significant property damage.
The DSS claimed to have found an arsenal of weapons in his apartment, including seven AK-47 rifles, pump-action guns, 5,000 rounds of ammunition, charms, and other weapons. Adeyemo has strongly denied these allegations.
Despite his ongoing legal battles and exile, Adeyemo remains a potent symbol for the Yoruba separatist movement.
His lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Yomi Aliyu, believes that Adeyemo’s return to Nigeria could proceed smoothly as long as he refrains from further separatist activities.
“I believe that Igboho would have no problem on his return to Nigeria provided he doesn’t resume his campaign for the separation of Yoruba from Nigeria,” said Aliyu.
Adeyemo won a significant legal victory in September 2021, securing N20 billion in damages in a court ruling on a fundamental rights enforcement suit against the DSS.
Despite these legal victories, the question remains whether Adeyemo’s return to his homeland will provide a moment of resolution or reignite old tensions.
