Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has finally been cleared to return to Nigeria after powerful South-West monarchs intervened and secured the removal of his name from the federal government’s wanted list.
The revelation was made by his spokesman, Olayomi Koiki, who said all arrangements for Igboho’s homecoming have been concluded following direct appeals by respected traditional rulers to President Bola Tinubu.
Among the monarchs who reportedly stepped in are the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja; the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi; and the Olugbon of Orile Igbon, Oba Francis Alao, alongside other influential royal fathers.
Igboho fled Nigeria on July 1, 2021, after a joint operation by the Department of State Services and the Nigerian Army raided his Ibadan residence over allegations of illegal arms possession. The raid followed his high-profile campaign against armed Fulani herdsmen in the South-West.
The operation turned deadly, with three of his aides killed and 13 others arrested. Igboho escaped to Benin Republic but was later arrested at Cotonou Airport on July 19, 2021, while attempting to travel to Germany. He spent more than a year in detention before gaining freedom in March 2022.
Under the administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, Igboho was declared wanted, denied a Nigerian passport, and had his bank accounts frozen, despite court rulings in his favour.
In 2025, during a visit to the Olugbon Palace in Orile Igbon, Oyo State, Igboho publicly decried the pain of exile and appealed to President Tinubu to clear his name. He also made a direct plea to the Olubadan.
Koiki, in a statement on Sunday, confirmed that the Presidency has now given the green light, clearing Igboho to return and reintegrate fully into the country.
The breakthrough reportedly followed a recent visit by the Olubadan to President Tinubu at Aso Rock, Abuja.
“This is a moment of joy for Ibadanland and Yorubaland as a whole. Chief Adeyemo is now cleared to return to Nigeria and is no longer being sought by government authorities,” Koiki said.
“With the support of our royal fathers—the Olubadan of Ibadanland, the Ooni of Ife, the Olugbon of Orile Igbon, and others—Chief Sunday Adeyemo is now free to return home. He is a free man and will soon be back in Ibadan,” he added.
The statement also conveyed Igboho’s gratitude to President Tinubu, the South-West monarchs, and Yoruba sons and daughters across the globe who stood by him throughout his years in exile.
