Sunday Igboho Recounts Escape From DSS Raid, Denies Turning Into Cat

Prominent Yoruba Nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has recounted how he evaded arrest during the Department of State Services (DSS) raid on his Ibadan residence in July 2021, insisting he never fled the house or transformed into a cat as widely rumoured.

Speaking while hosting a delegation of Muslim leaders 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 mistook a cat for him during the raid and even invited what he described as a “fake herbalist” to perform rituals in a bid to locate him.

Recounting the events of the early morning raid, Igboho said the operatives arrived at about 1:30 a.m. and immediately opened fire after hearing his voice.

“They came around 1:30 a.m. I heard a sound and asked who it was, but they started shooting at the room because they heard my voice,” he said.

“They later scaled the fence and planted dynamite on the burglary proof. The explosion brought everything down and that was how they gained access.”

According to him, he had been unclothed when the operation began but quickly dressed after realising the situation.

“I was naked, but I quickly put on a pair of jeans and a shirt. One part of me wanted to surrender, while another warned me not to because I believed I would be killed if I did,” he said.

Igboho alleged that the operatives continued firing at close range without actually seeing him and forced one of his aides, identified as Dudu, to persuade him to open the door.

“They pointed a gun at Dudu’s head while asking him to tell me to come out. That made me suspicious. They eventually forced the door open,” he added.

The activist also dismissed long-standing claims that he escaped by turning into a cat.

“I didn’t turn into a cat. They killed a cat thinking it was me. They even brought a fake herbalist who was chanting incantations and performing rituals. I was inside the house watching everything, but they couldn’t see me,” he claimed.

He further alleged that one of his relatives, who was partially blind, was shot after security operatives mistook him for an attacker.

“There was my brother who was partially blind. When he came out, they shot him, thinking he wanted to attack them. They also took away the corpses to prove they had invaded my house,” he said.

Igboho attributed his survival to divine intervention, claiming prayers previously offered by Muslim clerics had protected him after they warned of an impending danger.

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

Before the raid, Igboho had drawn national attention after issuing an ultimatum to some Fulani residents in parts of Oyo State, accusing them of involvement in kidnappings and other violent crimes. He subsequently intensified his campaign for the creation of an independent Yoruba Nation.

The federal government viewed some of his activities as a threat to national security and moved to arrest him.

Following the operation, the DSS announced that 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 later fled Nigeria and was arrested in Cotonou, Benin Republic, while attempting to travel to Germany. After several months of legal proceedings, Beninese authorities released him.