How I escaped DSS raid on my home in 2021 — Sunday Igboho

Yoruba Nation agitator Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has recounted how he escaped arrest during the Department of State Services (DSS) raid on his Ibadan residence in July 2021.

Speaking on Monday while hosting a delegation of Muslim clerics at his residence in Ibadan, Igboho claimed he remained inside the house throughout the operation despite security operatives surrounding the property.

He alleged that the operatives mistakenly killed a cat after believing it was him and also brought in what he described as a “fake herbalist” to perform rituals in an attempt to locate him.

According to Igboho, the operatives stormed his residence around 1:30 a.m. and immediately opened fire after hearing his voice.

He said they later forced their way into the house by detonating explosives on the burglary-proof entrance after scaling the fence.

Igboho recalled that he considered surrendering but decided against it because he believed he would have been killed.

He further alleged that the operatives pointed a gun at the head of his personal assistant, identified as Dudu, and used him to demand that he open the door.

Dismissing longstanding claims that he transformed into a cat to evade arrest, Igboho insisted he never left the house during the raid.

“I didn’t turn into a cat. They even killed it, thinking it was me. They even brought a fake herbalist who was making incantations. I was in the house watching them, but they didn’t see me,” he said.

He also claimed that a partially blind relative was shot by the operatives after they allegedly mistook him for an attacker.

Igboho attributed his escape to divine intervention, saying prayers previously offered by Muslim clerics for his safety helped save his life.

The DSS raided Igboho’s residence in the Soka area of Ibadan on July 1, 2021, following months of heightened tension between the activist and the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Before the operation, Igboho had gained national prominence after issuing an ultimatum to some Fulani residents in parts of Oyo State, accusing them of involvement in kidnapping and other violent crimes.

He later intensified his campaign for the creation of an independent Yoruba Nation, prompting the Federal Government to move against him.

Following the raid, the DSS said it recovered firearms and ammunition from the residence and arrested 13 of Igboho’s associates. The agency also said two of his aides were killed during an exchange of gunfire.

Igboho subsequently fled Nigeria and was arrested in Cotonou, Benin Republic, while attempting to travel to Germany. After several months of legal proceedings, he was released by Beninese authorities and has since remained in self-imposed exile, from where he continues to advocate for the Yoruba Nation movement.