The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, has called out to his fellow Yoruba monarchs, elders and other stakeholders in the Southwest to convene a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari over the freedom of popular Yoruba agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho, currently held in detention in Benin Republic.
The revered monarch who also appealed to the Federal Government to engage Benin Republic on bilateral grounds and ensure Igboho is safely repatriated to Nigeria. The monarch said the unconditional release will further strengthen the unity of Nigeria.
This appeal is coming just days after Igbo leaders under the aegis of Highly Respected Igbo Greats, met with Buhari over the release of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.
Igboho just like Kanu had demanded for the secession of the Southwest region from Nigeria. The secessionist agitations caught the attention of the government as a team of the Department of State Services (DSS) raided the house of Igboho in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The agitator who fled the country shortly after the raid was apprehended in Cotonou, Benin Republic and has since been remanded in a prison facility.
Checks reveal that Igboho has now spent 126 days in Beninoise prison.
Reacting to the continued detention of Igboho, Oba Akanbi, who in a statement signed by his press secretary, Alli Ibraheem, on Sunday appealed to Yoruba monarchs to harmonize their interest towards the release of the agitator.
The statement reads in part, “The controversies surrounding the continuous detention of Sunday Igboho can be addressed if the Yoruba Monarchs, elders and stakeholders ready to take a walk to President Muhammed Buhari.
“Sunday Igboho is our son. I urge stakeholders in Yoruba affairs to harmonize their interests, come together and approach the country’s leaders for the release of the embattled Igboho.
“Granting such a request will entrench the unity of Nigeria and foster a harmonious understanding. Only the federal government has the exclusive charisma to liberate the face of Yoruba nation agitator at this critical time. Our son must be rescued. Releasing Igboho without recourse to legal lingering litigation will earn the government credit. It is a credit of maturity and unity.”
