Chief Sunday Adeyemo, also referred to as Sunday Igboho, did not become well-known in 2021. He rose to fame in the early 2000s in Oyo state’s capital, the historic city of Ibadan.
He spread his influence through political involvement to Ondo, Osun, and to some extent Ekiti. His ascent to fame was aided by praise singers, primarily Fuji artists.
Even though Sunday Igboho was already well-known in the South-West political arena, his popularity was not universal or widespread.
Before declaring war on the Fulani herdsmen in January 2021, he was hardly recognized outside of the south-west of the nation.
When Sunday Igboho first began his ascent to fame in the early 2000s, he was well-known for land grabbing, political thuggery, hooliganism, and gangsterism in the ancient city of Ibadan.
He also raised a cadre of “strong people” who moved to other nearby states while he kept Oyo state’s capital, Ibadan, in his grasp.
However, research showed that Igboho gained popularity in 1997 as a result of their involvement in the Modakeke-Ife community issue.
He apparently headed a group of young, resolute guys who were keen to protect their community and its residents, in addition to taking an active role in it.
Chief Sunday Adeyemo was born in Oke ogun, Oyo State’s Igboho, a historic Oyo town. Findings indicate that Igboho’s father moved the family to Modakeke, where he had grown up.
Sunday Igboho transitioned from operating a motorcycle repair shop to transport business to becoming a household name for political hooliganism while posing as a transporter.
He did this by allowing himself to be used as a political tool by powerful politicians.
Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Igboho, has had the privilege of managing security-related issues for past governors Lam Adesina, Rasheed Adewolu Ladoja, Olusegun Mimiko, and Olagunsoye Oyinlola, where he supposedly acquired enough money to launch his vehicle company.
Unconfirmed reports said that before he went for Ibadan, Igboho ran for the union’s leadership position but failed. He began the business of buying, selling, and marketing lands in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo state, according to independent sources as well.
He moved from the transportation sector to the automobile sector, where he now sells vehicles and founded the Adeson company. As at the time of reporting, he is still the chairman of Adeson International Business Concept Ltd.
Although Igboho’s popularity waned, Fuji artists who sang his praises at public events kept it alive. But in January 2021, following the murder of Dr. Aborode, Sunday Igboho shot to fame and received a ton of attention on social media when he issued a warning to Fulani herdsmen in Ibarapa ordering them to leave the area.
According to a statement from the West African Regional Coordinator of the Fulani Nationalist Movement, Baadu Salisu Ahmadu, herdsmen in Nigeria would not leave their separate communities.
Igboho and Rotimi Akeredolu, the governor of Ondo State, had promised to expel them from the six south-western states, and he said that doing so would start a war.
Igboho had only given the ultimatum seven days prior to his invasion of Igangan, where kidnappings and murders were frequent.
Hundreds of young people from every town in the Ibarapa zone joined Igboho’s caravan with the intention of driving the Fulani herders away after they refused to leave Igangan as the Ibarapa people had ordered.
Reportedly, after Igboho left Igangan, enraged youths set fire to the home of Alhaji Saliu Abdulkadir, the Sarkin Fulani of Oyo State.
Alhaji Saliu Abdulkadir, the Sarkin Fulani, acknowledged the occurrence and claimed that his home and all of his vehicles had been burned.
“We are currently in a bush. Our automobiles, which numbered around 11, were set on fire. Some of my kids got hurt, and we’re trying to figure out how to get them to the hospital.
“My kids have moved out and are living in the bush. The government must assist us. They set my house on fire in front of the police, Operation Burst, and other security organizations, he claimed.
Alhaji Ibrahim Jiji, the state’s chairman of Miyetti Allah, called the occurrence sad and urged the government to find a long-lasting solution to the Fulani/farmers strife in the state.
“As we often say, there are nice people among the Fulani; not all of us are bad. What do we now refer to this as? See how the gentleman was ejected from his home; he is a gentleman. Government action is required right away, he said.
Chief Sunday Adeyemo Igboho has received support from a number of organizations, including Agbekoya Farmers Group and Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC).
Famous Yorubas, especially those in the diaspora, also campaigned in favor of Sunday Igboho.
Chief Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Igboho, joined the Oodua Republic agitators and became a sessionist as a result of the ongoing deaths and the minimal or nonexistent attention from the federal government.
He launched a significant campaign, calling for the Yoruba states to be divided from the Nigerian state.
After Sunday Igboho made his statement, he organized large-scale demonstrations in favor of secession across the south-western states.
Men from the Department of State Security broke into his Ibadan home, arresting some of his close associates while he fled.
Igboho later had trouble trying to get to Germany and was detained at the airport in the Benin Republic.
He was charged, imprisoned at the Benin prison for months, and later released with restrictions on his travel.