Yoruba Nation campaigner Sunday Adeyemo, widely known as Sunday Igboho, on Wednesday asserted that he remains on the Federal Government’s wanted list — a status he confirmed while responding to recent public criticism.
His remarks followed comments from Hajia Naja’atu Mohammed, a former director in President Bola Tinubu’s Presidential Campaign Council, who reportedly questioned why Igboho continues to enjoy unrestricted movement despite his status as a fugitive.
Igboho was declared wanted by Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) in 2021 over allegations of stockpiling weapons and inciting civil unrest — charges he has consistently denied.
Naja’atu, in her critique, highlighted what she perceived as the Federal Government’s inconsistent approach to separatist agitators. She pointed to the ongoing detention of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), contrasting it with what she described as a muted response to Igboho’s continued activism.
She also accused President Tinubu of marginalising the North in the distribution of political appointments and governance, despite the region’s support in the 2023 elections.
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He said, “I am still on the wanted list of the Federal Government, even under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.”
Describing her claims as “unfounded and ridiculous,” Igboho cautioned Naja’atu against dragging his name into what he called propaganda and smear campaigns targeted at discrediting the current administration.
“Currently, I use my German passport to travel across Europe and other continents, and I cannot enter Nigeria because the security agencies under the leadership of former President Muhammadu Buhari declared me wanted. That order still stands under the current administration,” he said.
“What was my offence? I only spoke against the rampant killings of farmers, the maiming of innocent people, and sexual violence against women by herdsmen in South-West communities, especially in agrarian areas, during the inglorious era of President Buhari.
“It is a matter of public record that on July 1, 2021, a combined team of DSS operatives and soldiers invaded my home in Ibadan with the intention of arresting or eliminating me. That assault, which lasted several hours, resulted in the deaths of two of my associates and the arrest of 13 others.”
Igboho also pointed out that out of the 16 Presidents who have ruled Nigeria since independence, only two—Olusegun Obasanjo and Bola Tinubu—are from the Yoruba ethnic group.
He asked, “Where was Naja’atu Mohammed when Boko Haram terrorists and armed herdsmen were ravaging communities across the North and South-West under Buhari’s administration?”
He further accused Naja’atu of hypocrisy, pointing to the role of Islamic cleric Abubakar Gumi, who often served as an intermediary between the government and terrorist groups during Buhari’s administration. He claimed that, unlike previous approaches, President Tinubu had chosen to confront insurgency head-on instead of relying on figures like Gumi, which had led individuals like Naja’atu to resort to baseless allegations and the promotion of divisive narratives. Igboho also insisted that she should refrain from including his name in her criticisms.