Abiodun Stood Surety for Igboho’s Return to Bury Mother — Lawyer
Human rights lawyer Pelumi Olajengbesi has revealed that Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, agreed to guarantee activist Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, during his return to Nigeria to attend his mother’s burial in 2023. Olajengbesi made the disclosure in a Facebook post after visiting Igboho, whom he described as his elder brother and former client, saying their meeting centred on Nigeria, politics, leadership and the activist’s experiences. According to the lawyer, Igboho contacted him after his mother’s death and insisted on returning home to perform her final rites despite the circumstances surrounding his absence from Nigeria. Olajengbesi said he subsequently appealed to Abiodun for assistance. The governor, he added, asked whether the matter had been raised with the then National Security Adviser and expressed the view that President Bola Tinubu would support individuals whose activities remained within the law. Olajengbesi said he later connected Igboho with Abiodun and three other governors over the matter.
The lawyer further claimed that Abiodun agreed to stand as a guarantor for Igboho’s conduct during a seven-day grace period granted to enable him attend his mother’s burial. According to Olajengbesi, Igboho returned to Nigeria, performed the burial rites and immediately left the country afterwards. He added that the matter was subsequently addressed through engagements involving other prominent Nigerians and within the law. Igboho had left Nigeria for the Benin Republic in 2021, while Olajengbesi publicly thanked Abiodun in February 2024 for his role in facilitating Igboho’s peaceful return. In his latest account, the lawyer also reflected on his relationship with Igboho and his experience representing him during his legal difficulties, describing the activist as an influential voice in discussions around Yoruba identity, security and aspirations.
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