Yoruba Activist Sunday Igboho Regains Full Freedom in Benin Republic, Departs for Germany

Sunday Igboho, the prominent Yoruba activist, has been granted complete freedom in the neighboring Benin Republic, putting an end to his bail restrictions. According to Prof. Banji Akintoye, the leader of the Yoruba Nation group, Igboho was released on Sunday and has subsequently departed for Germany to reunite with his family.

Igboho’s tumultuous journey began when he was arrested in July 2021, just as he was preparing to board a flight to Germany. This arrest came mere weeks after he survived a harrowing attack by security agents at his residence in Ibadan, Nigeria, prompting the Department of State Services (DSS) to declare him wanted.

Despite the odds, Igboho managed to escape Nigeria with the intention of joining his family in Germany. In a recent interview with the Nigerian Tribune, he expressed his relief at being able to leave Benin and his eagerness to return to Nigeria, his homeland, and travel internationally.

“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,” Igboho affirmed.

Igboho, along with his wife, was apprehended on July 20, 2021, at the Cardinal Bernardin International Airport in Cotonou, Benin, while attempting to travel to Germany. Following a series of legal battles, he was granted bail, which effectively confined him to Cotonou, Benin, until now.

In a heartfelt video message posted on Facebook, Igboho expressed his gratitude to all those who supported him during his ordeal and detention in Benin. He extended special thanks to Yoruba monarchs, fellow activists, including Professor Banji Akintoye, and former Nigerian President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo for their unwavering support during his stay in Cotonou.

Sunday Igboho’s release marks a significant development in the ongoing saga surrounding his activism and legal battles, leaving many to wonder what lies ahead for the Yoruba activist upon his return to Nigeria.