Soyinka urges FG to stop pursuing Sunday Igboho
Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka has joined other Nigerians who have condemned the invasion of Sunday Adeyemo’s residence by security operatives, saying that the Federal Government should stop pursuing him.
PREMIUM TIMES reported the invasion of the Ibadan home of Mr Adeyemo, popularly called Sunday Igboho, by armed officials of the State Security Service (SSS) who killed two of Mr Igboho’s supporters in what the SSS said was a shootout.
“If you bring Igboho to trial, it is going to get mud in your face clearly. As far as I am concerned, it is up to Igboho to decide.
He knows what the circumstances were, he knows what happened before his people were killed and he is the only one who can decide for himself, I cannot advise him,” Mr Soyinka told the BBC when asked what advice he would give Sunday Igboho who has been declared wanted.
His advice, he said, is more to the government than it is for Mr Igboho, stating that the government should stop pursuing Mr Igboho as though he were a criminal.
“If and when Igboho comes to trial, I guarantee you that it is the government who will be very embarrassed,” Mr Soyinka said; adding that the government should apologise to Mr Igboho and let him resume his normal life.
Commenting on the whereabouts of Mr Igboho, Mr Soyinka said he believes the Yoruba nation agitator has gone underground to protect himself and perhaps to be able to continue his declared struggle.
“I am not talking about his secessionist struggle, I am talking about what Igboho came out to do and I believe is still his mission in this nation – to protect, defend his own people and to let the oppressors know that they are not lords of this nation or any section of it apart from where they are constitutionally entitled to.”
Nigerians were ushered into the second half of the year with the news of an invasion of Sunday Igboho’s residence in Soka, Ibadan.
The SSS would later confirm that its operatives stormed the home of the leader of the Yoruba separatist group, in a bid to effect his arrest.
Peter Afunanya, the SSS spokesperson, said 13 suspects, including a female and 12 males, were arrested.
This invasion left at least two persons dead and occurred barely 72 hours to the planned rally in Lagos by Mr Igboho and his supporters who are clamouring for an independent Yoruba nation.
Mr Igboho’s lawyer, Yomi Aliyu, has asked the SSS to apologise to his client over the invasion of his home. He also demanded N500 million for his client.
Sunday Adeyemo, popularly called Sunday Igboho after his home town of Igboho, in Oyo State, became notorious following his role in the Modakeke-Ife communal crisis.
He would later play different roles as a transport union enforcer and a political thug in Oyo and Osun states. He became more popular in the South-west recently when he led his supporters to chase Fulani leaders out of some communities in Oyo and Ogun states.
He accused the Fulani leaders of harbouring criminal herders who kidnap, kill and assault farmers and residents of rural communities in the states.(Premium Times)
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