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Sunday Igboho, the prominent Yoruba nation advocate, has been released from custody by the Beninese authorities. He announced on Sunday that he is now legally allowed to depart Cotonou, the capital of Benin Republic, and travel to Nigeria and other nations.
“I am now free to return to Nigeria and visit any country worldwide. I have met all the legal requirements for my bail, which was granted several years ago, and I will soon be returning to Nigeria, my home country,” he stated.
He confirmed, “I am now free to return to Nigeria without any legal restrictions. Despite residing in Cotonou for some time, I can unequivocally state that I am now permitted to depart Cotonou for Nigeria,” in an interview with the Nigerian Tribune.
This release comes after a two-year legal battle with the Beninese government. In March 2021, Igboho ignited controversy when he proclaimed the sovereignty of the Yoruba Nation. He initiated a campaign to expel killer herdsmen and kidnappers from the South-Western states and urged Yoruba people in Hausa/Fulani or Igbo territories to return home.
Following a nighttime raid on his Ibadan residence by the Department of State Services (DSS) in July 2021, he fled Nigeria, resulting in at least one casualty and damage to some of his property.
During the invasion, the DSS claimed to have recovered seven AK-47 rifles, pump-action guns, 5,000 rounds of ammunition, charms, and other weapons from his apartment. However, this judgment was later overturned by the Court of Appeal in August 2022.
He was subsequently arrested at the Cardinal Bernardin International Airport in Cotonou, Benin Republic, while attempting to flee to Germany. Efforts by the former President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to extradite him to Nigeria were unsuccessful.
