By Ado Oyeyemi
Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has recounted how he allegedly evaded arrest during the Department of State Services raid on his Ibadan residence in July 2021.
Speaking on Monday while receiving a delegation of Muslim leaders at his residence in Ibadan, Igboho claimed he remained inside the house throughout the operation despite security operatives surrounding the premises.
According to him, the operatives mistook a cat for him during the raid and allegedly killed the animal, believing it was their target.
He also claimed they invited a herbalist to perform rituals in an effort to locate him, but were unsuccessful.
Recounting the incident, Igboho said the operatives arrived at about 1:30 a.m. and immediately opened fire after hearing his voice.
He alleged that they later forced their way into the building by detonating an explosive device at the entrance.
He said he briefly considered surrendering but abandoned the idea because he feared he would be killed if he gave himself up.
The activist further alleged that the operatives fired repeatedly without seeing him and forced one of his aides to persuade him to open the door at gunpoint.
Igboho dismissed long-standing rumours that he escaped by transforming into a cat, insisting that he remained inside the residence throughout the operation.
He also claimed that a partially blind relative was shot after operatives allegedly mistook him for an attacker, adding that those killed during the raid were taken away by the security personnel.
According to him, he survived the operation through divine intervention following prayers previously offered by Muslim clerics who had warned him about an impending danger.
The DSS carried out the raid on Igboho’s residence in the Soka area of Ibadan on July 1, 2021, amid heightened tensions between the activist and the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Before the operation, Igboho had attracted national attention over his campaign against alleged criminal activities by some Fulani herders in parts of Oyo State and his advocacy for the creation of an independent Yoruba Nation.
Following the raid, the DSS announced that it recovered firearms and ammunition from the residence and arrested 13 of Igboho’s associates.
The agency also said two of his aides died during an exchange of gunfire with operatives.
Igboho subsequently fled Nigeria and was later arrested in Cotonou, Benin Republic, while attempting to travel to Germany.
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He was eventually released by the Beninese authorities after months of legal proceedings and has since remained in self imposed exile, from where he continues to campaign for the Yoruba Nation cause.
