25th October, 2021
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ojaja II has said Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Igboho never listened to traditional rulers but chose to listen to many people who advised him wrongly.
Igboho has been languishing in prison in Benin Republic for almost three months after he was arrested trying to get to Germany to seek asylum.
Ooni, in an interview with BBC said he had always told the government to call the agitators for a dialogue and that Igboho grew up in Ife.
He said all that Igboho had become today, started from Ife, as he fought the Ife and Modakeke war, with both land belonging to Ife.
According to Ogunwusi, the Yoruba Nation agitator wanted to fight for his kinsmen, as he stood up and fought for those killed in Oke Ogun, while thanking God for preserving his life.
“He tried his best but he was overwhelmed by different advice from people. Many people advised him wrongly. He listened to them.
“I visited President Buhari on his case and we discussed it. I told him that Igboho is our son, he told me that he (Igboho) should stay calm and exercise patience. The president told me that monarchs should warn him to be calm,” he said.
Ogunwusi added that Igboho hurled so many bad words at them but noted that he is still their son.
He said God owns forgiveness and that the monarchs had forgiven him, stressing that if he had listened, he would not have found himself in his current travail.
The Ooni said the monarchs were trying their best to secure Igboho’s release, saying that it was better to fight together, as no one could fight the government alone.