Wole Soyinka condemns the unlawful Sunday Igboho home raid, demands government apology, and warns that prosecution will embarrass authorities over human rights abuses.
Nobel Laureate and human rights advocate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has spoken strongly against what he described as the unlawful invasion and violence during the Sunday Igboho home raid in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The globally renowned playwright condemned the actions of Nigerian security operatives, calling them both “criminal” and “morally indefensible.”
The raid on Yoruba Nation activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, which occurred on July 1, 2021, in the Soka area of Ibadan, was executed by a combined team of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Army during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to official statements, the operation was launched based on allegations that Sunday Igboho was stockpiling arms and ammunition in preparation for an insurrection.
However, Soyinka argued that the government had no justification for such an act of aggression against a citizen who, in his view, was simply exercising his right to self-determination and regional defense.
Eyewitnesses at the time of the Sunday Igboho home raid recounted scenes of chaos, bloodshed, and fear.
The early morning operation resulted in the deaths of two of Igboho’s aides, while thirteen others were arrested and taken into custody.
Properties were destroyed, including vehicles and personal belongings, leaving the activist’s family traumatized.
Soyinka, reflecting on the incident, noted that such an operation violated every known standard of justice and human rights.
“You cannot storm a private home in the dead of night, destroy property, kill unarmed civilians, and still pretend that you are enforcing the law,” he said. “That act alone made the government the aggressor, not the protector.”
In a video shared by Igboho’s media aide, Olayomi Koiki, Soyinka urged the Federal Government to publicly apologise to Sunday Igboho. According to him, the government must admit that it acted wrongly rather than continuing to brand the activist as a criminal.
“My advice is not so much to Igboho as it is to the government,” Soyinka explained.
“They should stop pursuing this person as a criminal because they began by acting in a criminal fashion against him. If and when Igboho is brought to trial, the government will be very embarrassed. It is not in its interest.”
He further recommended a peaceful resolution: “They should simply tell him, ‘We made a mistake; we should not have acted this way. You are no longer wanted.’ They should escort him back to his home quietly and let him resume his normal life.”
Soyinka emphasized that governments earn legitimacy not through force or intimidation but by admitting their wrongs and correcting them. He added that the Nigerian state had created unnecessary tension by mishandling cases involving regional activists.
Professor Soyinka clarified that his defence of Igboho should not be misinterpreted as support for secession. Instead, he stressed that the activist’s initial mission was rooted in community defense and justice.
“I am not referring to the secessionist element,” he said. “I am talking about what Igboho originally set out to do, to protect his people and to make it clear to aggressors that they are not overlords over this nation or any part of it beyond what the Constitution permits.”
Soyinka described Sunday Igboho as a man who took action when government institutions failed to secure rural communities in the South-West against kidnappers and armed herdsmen.
“When a government cannot guarantee safety, citizens will naturally rise to protect themselves,” he said. “That is what Igboho did — he filled the vacuum of leadership and courage.”
The Nobel Laureate also took issue with the media narrative that Sunday Igboho was “in hiding.” He clarified that the activist had “gone underground” to safeguard his life and reorganize his movement.
“It is misleading to say he is hiding,” Soyinka asserted. “He is merely protecting himself after an unjust attack that cost innocent lives.”
He criticized the tendency of some media outlets to amplify government propaganda without questioning the legality or morality of state actions.
“When journalists echo power without scrutiny, they become part of the machinery of oppression,” Soyinka said. “The press must remember its duty to the people, not to politicians.”
Soyinka’s remarks go beyond the Sunday Igboho home raid; they touch on Nigeria’s ongoing challenges with insecurity, governance, and human rights.
He drew parallels between Igboho’s case and that of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, whose arrest and detention sparked widespread outrage.
According to him, Nigeria has fallen into a cycle where the state responds to dissent with force rather than dialogue. “We cannot continue to criminalize grievances,” Soyinka warned.
“Every region has legitimate complaints, and unless we listen and address them sincerely, the nation’s unity will remain fragile.”
He also highlighted the failure of national institutions to protect citizens, lamenting the erosion of public confidence in justice systems. “If justice cannot be trusted, then democracy is in danger,” he said.
The playwright cautioned the Federal Government against any renewed attempt to prosecute Sunday Igboho, insisting that such an action would backfire politically and morally. “If you bring Igboho to trial, the government will end up with mud on its face,” Soyinka declared.
He urged those in power to learn from history, referencing how oppressive measures in the past only strengthened resistance movements. “Repression breeds defiance,” he said. “A wise government seeks reconciliation, not revenge.”
Soyinka concluded his remarks by affirming that Igboho alone must decide his next steps. “As far as I am concerned, it is up to him to decide what to do next,” he said. “He knows what happened before his people were killed, and only he can determine how to proceed.”
Today, Sunday Igboho remains a symbolic figure in the Yoruba self-determination movement. Despite government pressure, his story continues to inspire debates about fairness, justice, and federal balance in Nigeria.
The Sunday Igboho home raid may have been an attempt to silence him, but it has instead amplified calls for transparency and accountability within the Nigerian system.
As Soyinka’s words echo across the public space, the message is clear: justice cannot be achieved through fear and force. A nation that attacks its defenders risks losing the very soul of its democracy.
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