BY AKINWALE ABOLUWADE, IBADAN
Hundreds of supporters of the Yoruba nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, a.k.a Sunday Igboho, embarked on a peaceful protest against his arrest in Cotonou, Republic of Benin.
Igboho was arrested at the airport in the neighbouring West African country on Monday night.
The Point reports that his Ibadan home was raided in the early hours of July 1, 2021, by operatives of the Department of State Security over the allegation of stockpiling arms and ammunition to destabilise the country on the account of his fight for freedom.
Some angry youths thronged major roads, including Soka to Sanyo, Felele, Music House and Challenge, on Wednesday. They carried placards bearing inscriptions such as ‘Free Ighobo now,’ ‘I stand with Chief Sunday Adeyemo Igboho Oosa,’ ‘Chief Sunday is fighting for freedom. No going back,’ Chief Sunday is fighting for freedom,’ Alaanu talika, kinni Sunday se?’ ‘E beru Olorun. Idajo yin de tan,’ ‘E fi Ighobo sile!!!’ ‘Igboho is not a criminal,’ I stand with Igboho.’
Among those on the rally were Oyedokun Abiodun, a.k.a Aworo; David Ajulo, Azeez Sullaiman, Alhaji Yusuf Ajikobi, and Atakoro Omo Yerepe.
Ajulo said, “I am appealing to Yoruba monarchs, they should rise up in defense of Igboho. It should be known that many people in Yorubaland had suffered a lot in the hands of criminal herdsmen. They had raped, killed, kidnapped, taken ransom and destroyed farmlands.
“So, many people are grieving in Yorubaland. Nobody came to their rescue, even the Federal Government and security agencies did not come to assist the Yoruba people being terrorised by criminal herdsmen.
“You can challenge me, the number of criminal herdsmen that had been arrested, prosecuted and jailed for committing crimes. Based on the fact that the Federal Government is not tackling the menace, the criminal herdsmen still live in Yorubaland and they continue to commit atrocities.”
Sulaiman, said, “We are not praying for civil war but when a goat is pushed to the wall, it will fight back. The Federal Government should release those arrested in Igboho’s house on July 1, during a bloody raid of his house in Ibadan. We are also demanding for the release of the Yoruba nation agitators that were arrested during a peaceful rally at Ojota, Lagos, on Saturday July 3.”
Omo Yerepe urged the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi; the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi; and other prominent Yoruba monarchs, as well as the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, to rise in defence of Igboho.
Some Yoruba people residing in Cotonou, Republic of Benin, also staged a peaceful protest in nation’s court, on Wednesday.
