₦airaland Forum

I like Sunday Igboho. I admire the man. I started hearing about him during my undergraduate days at Obafemi Awolowo University while living in Ibadan in 2005. Those days, social media usage had yet to reach its peak in Nigeria. The internet space was not well explored or exploited. I am talking about a time when a regular internet user with a laptop or desktop computer could easily be termed an internet fraudster. Back then, to hear the latest gist on the street, you needed to hang around market women, barbers' shops, mechanic workshops, and other places.

At a barber's shop, one apprentice who was close to some political thugs extolled how spiritually fortified Sunday Igboho was, how he could conjure a gun out of thin air and it would appear in his hands, how bullets could not penetrate his body, and how he could appear and disappear in the face of danger. Before then, I had only seen such acts in Nollywood movies acted by Fadeyi Oloro, Abija, Sam Dede, Charles Okafor, and others. The stories were fascinating.

When Igboho resurfaced in 2021 while trying to tackle insecurity in the Southwest under the late President Muhammadu Buhari's administration, it was intriguing to see him again. As a journalist, I started paying attention to him and pushing the news. The public bought into it. My editor at the time in Lagos once called me to ask if I believed what I was writing about Igboho. I laughed. I recounted the stories I had heard about him during my days in Ibadan. He found them interesting.

Igboho soon became the rave of the moment in the national media space. I remember when he wore his garment of charms, and there were rumours that he was shot in a Fulani community, but his body resisted the bullets, and that he took the gun from the shooter with his bare hands. An unclear video surfaced, and Nigerians felt a messiah was finally here. Remember, pressing challenges create a desperate need for solutions.

Gradually, he started straying away from insecurity issues and dabbling in politics. It should be noted that Igboho, who was named after his hometown Igboho in Oyo State, became stupendously rich through his involvement in politics. The nature of his roles depends on who you ask. A man of very limited education and convincing life skills became so successful in Nigeria. How did he do it?

Igboho started speaking against Nigerian leaders and amassing supporters. Dramatically, the Yoruba Nation, a separatist movement representing the Southwestern part of Nigeria, began to gain prominence. Igboho's hardline stance against Fulani herdsmen and other criminal elements soon started to look like harassment. In a politically and ethnically charged country like Nigeria, where peaceful coexistence is fragile, a civil war could break out like wildfire.

At some point, Buhari felt he had had enough. He ordered agents of the Department of State Services to get involved, and they invaded Igboho's house in Ibadan. It was like a mission to kill and destroy. Igboho escaped. Some accounts said he scaled the fence. Others said he simply disappeared using voodoo. Some reports even claimed that cats in his house were arrested alongside his associates because DSS operatives believed he might have transformed into one.

Igboho went on the run. He was declared wanted by the Nigerian government. He tried to flee the country and ended up in the Benin Republic, where he was apprehended and incarcerated. Buhari wanted him repatriated to Nigeria to face the full wrath of the law. The kind of treatment meted out to Nnamdi Kanu awaited him, but the French speaking country refused to hand him over. Igboho remained in exile until Buhari left power, and the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu facilitated his return. He quietly came back to Nigeria and kept a low profile in Ibadan, his base.

The publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, alleged that Igboho was a political mercenary hired by Tinubu. He claimed that the Yoruba Nation movement was a means of pressuring Buhari to cede power to the South when it appeared the presidency might remain in the North. Igboho later seemed to lend credence to this claim by wearing a customised cap bearing Tinubu’s insignia at a political campaign event. This attracted outrage and overshadowed his influence.

The kidnapping of 39 pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State presented another opportunity for Igboho, and he seized it.

Shortly after, Igboho floated the Iru Ekun, also known as Leopard’s Tail security network, to combat insecurity in the Southwest. Pictures of men in security uniforms bearing arms appeared on social media, despite having no government backing for such a sensitive role. Igboho granted an interview and boasted that Tinubu would approve it, which meant putting the cart before the horse. Tinubu has since maintained silence.

In a country often perceived as lawless, Igboho began operations without a security licence. Rumours circulated that a kidnapped pregnant woman was released for free in his hometown after he issued a two-hour ultimatum. His perceived heroism spread across the media, and he returned to public discourse.

I like the idea of Iru Ekun, but I am worried that we may end up solving one problem while creating another massive problem. In Nigeria, we often fail to learn from history, and this has made us victims of it repeatedly. Igboho might be a good man with good intentions, but he lacks public trust. He is widely seen as a political tool for the highest bidder.

One wonders why Igboho has refused to collaborate with the existing Amotekun Security Network. Why is he so determined to establish his own structure? Is it about financial gain, like the pipeline security contract awarded to Chief Oweizidei Thomas Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo, in the Niger Delta, which has evolved into a political force?

Boko Haram started as a simple ideological movement in the Northeast before spiralling out of control. The Bakassi Boys, founded in 1998, initially tackled insecurity in the Southeast before being infiltrated by politicians and turning into a menace. The human rights abuses linked to them are mind boggling. The Eastern Security Network, the paramilitary arm of IPOB, was also formed with a supposed noble aim before becoming an enemy of the state.

What assurance do we have that Iru Ekun will not evolve into a political group or security threat, given Igboho’s political history?

With all sincerity, Igboho’s approach is brash, amateurish, highly impulsive, and uncouth. His moves are hardly intelligence driven. He often threatens people with violence and shows a high tendency to take the law into his own hands. He has spoken about reclaiming the lands of his forefathers from Fulani settlers and has reportedly invaded homes without warrants in search of unclear objectives. From his rhetoric, it appears he views all Fulanis as criminals.

Some Fulani groups are already issuing threats and calling on the government to restrain him. It may not be long before events spiral into widespread conflict. The weakness of the Nigerian state is being exploited here. Igboho’s approach is like the proverbial surgeon who would rather amputate an entire leg than treat a defective toe. The question is no longer whether Igboho can act, but whether Nigeria is prepared to deal with what his actions may eventually become.

I dislike the insecurity crisis and want it to end, but I am deeply concerned about creating a new problem that Nigeria may struggle with for years, with little hope of resolution. The truth is simple. When a solution operates outside the law, it carries the seeds of another problem. Nigeria must decide whether it wants short term relief or long-term stability, because it cannot have both by ignoring the lessons of its past.

https://www.facebook.com/thevillagetowncrier/posts/pfbid026WntDJ5rxHiNvh6JP148W55dcx9wtsrzVbsQYL9crbyvdtm7nyw8pxYAX3Vwq4Asl

CC Lalasticlala Seun Ishilove Mynd44 Dominique MissyB3 Fynestboi NLfpmod

@OP I think you should mind your business and the region you originated from.

How many Fulanis condemned their people engaging in banditary and kidnapping in South West forests?.. or you think Yorubas will allow Fulani turn our South West States to likes of Zamfara, Katsina, Borno etc.?

Go and check Yoruba history, our people never shy away from conflict.. if you choose peace, we give peace but jf you claim you're a bastar.rd that likes violence, you'll get excess violence in return.

All ye paid writers criticizing Igboho but keeping mum on the killings and kidnapping going on around the country will meet your waterloo soon.. no matter how long, you'll all reap your reward.

The approach Northern leaders have chosen shows they don't intend to continue in One Nigeria despite the fact that revenue generated from South West is what is feeding them due to their low economic productivity.

Lastly, kudos to Mr. President for the State Police Bill passed, now State Governors can champion security in their terrain without casting blame on the FG. They should ensure it's indigenes only that get recruited into State Police if not, the purpose of the entire framework would be defeated. It's only an indigene of a place that will be passionate about the security of his/,her home State.

flokii:
@OP I think you should mind your business and the region you originated from.

How many Fulanis condemned their people engaging in banditary and kidnapping in South West forests?.. or you think Yorubas will allow Fulani turn our South West States to likes of Zamfara, Katsina, Borno etc.?

Go and check Yoruba history, our people never shy away from conflict.. if you choose peace, we give peace but jf you claim you're a bastar.rd that likes violence, you'll get excess violence in return.

All ye paid writers criticizing Igboho but keeping mum on the killings and kidnapping going on around the country will meet your waterloo soon.. no matter how long, you'll all reap your reward.

The approach Northern leaders have chosen shows they don't intend to continue in One Nigeria despite the fact that revenue generated from South West is what is feeding them due to their low economic productivity.

Lastly, kudos to Mr. President for the State Police Bill passed, now State Governors can champion security in their terrain without casting blame on the FG. They should ensure it's indigenes only that get recruited into State Police if not, the purpose of the entire framework would be defeated. It's only an indigene of a place that will be passionate about the security of his/,her home State.

In other words, Igboho will become the Nnamdi Kanu of the Southwest. Why then did Tinubu send one to prison while the other continues to parade himself with guns while namedropping the president at every twist and turn, amid total silence from the presidency? He is already threatening to unalive any Yoruba that connives with Fulani without saying what the nature of that connivance will be and who would be the judge. It's clear that he's being backed from the top to create carnage in Oyo since Makinde has refused to sing the mandate song this time.

Igboho won't be allowed to interfere into the security issues in SW.

Don't sweat about him

Tinubu used Igboho as a bargaining chip and the North fell for it. Threatening you with dissolution after seeing how the north was against Nnamdi kanu and his Biafra agitation.

Now...

The Yoruba in him has started again, and he is using the same Sunday igboho template of dissolution of Nigeria to whip the North into line.

Who do you think protected Igboho during the Buhari regime, when burutai was even made an Ambassador to Benin Republic, just to repatriate igboho?

Anyway..the SW, true to nature has done it again.

Nufff Said

AMINDA:
In other words, Igboho will become the Nnamdi Kanu of the Southwest. Why then did Tinubu send one to prison while the other continues to parade himself with guns while namedropping the president at every twist and turn, amid total silence from the presidency? He is already threatening to unalive any Yoruba that connives with Fulani without saying what the nature of that connivance will be and who would be the judge. It's clear that he's being backed from the top to create carnage in Oyo since Makinde has refused to sing the mandate song this time.

Kalashnikov49:
Tinubu used Igboho as a bargaining chip and the North fell for it. Threatening you with dissolution after seeing how the north was against Nnamdi kanu and his Biafra agitation.

Now...

The Yoruba in him has started again, and he is using the same Sunday igboho template of dissolution of Nigeria to whip the North into line.

Who do you think protected Igboho during the Buhari regime, when burutai was even made an Ambassador to Benin Republic, just to repatriate igboho?

Anyway..the SW, true to nature has done it again.

Nufff Said

It was clear to the North that Igboho was being sponsored but the North voted for Tinubu because a debt is a debt and Northerners ALWAYS pay their debts, whether good or bad. That's the concept of "Amana" (trust) and Elrufai did a lot in reminding Northerners of this code when it looked like many wouldn't bother voting for Tinubu. It worked. He didn't do it because he was friends with Tinubu, he did it for posterity as history will outlive us all. Which is why Tinubu has shot himself in the foot by incarcerating Elrufai without bail as he has only succeeded in breaking that "trust". Now, the North will be obligated to return the favour because a debt is a debt. Elrufai clearly set himself as a bait and Tinubu took it.

P.S: Northerners are not afraid of a breakup and any Northerner telling you the North is afraid of a breakup is either being naïve or mischievous. It will be in Tinubu's best interest to do the breakup now because any agitation by the likes of Igboho after he is voted out will not fly, and it wouldn't be because the North is afraid.

Watch the video of Elrufai's speech when he brought Tinubu to Arewa House. Just like Ahmadu Bello and Tafawa Balewa, Elrufai is just one man but in politics, symbolism is everything.

MAJOR THROWBACK!

Yet some ingrates say…………… 🤣 pic.twitter.com/Y2KrfifaUp

— Mal. Imran U. Wakili (PULLO) 👑 #iSTANDWITHELRUFAI (@IU_Wakilii) April 17, 2026

There is nothing wrong in Igboho setting up his own security company. He is not going to force anyone to give him contract. He can with the company work with the Amotekun, the police or the Nigerian army. His experience is in security and you shouldn't expect him to switch business

Then if the Yoruba wanted to attack all Fulani on their land, they are easy targets and they would have done that but the Yoruba do not operate like that. We have had the Fulani among us before Nigeria became a thing

Then if there is civilian JTF and Niger delta militants being paid money, there is nothing wrong in using local militias in Yoruba land to solve the present problem. Are we supposed to sit idle while they set up camp in our forests? That won't happen and the military alone probably will not be able to dislodge them as they have not succeeded anywhere

uche87:
I like Sunday Igboho. I admire the man. I started hearing about him during my undergraduate days at Obafemi Awolowo University while living in Ibadan in 2005. Those days, social media usage had yet to reach its peak in Nigeria. The internet space was not well explored or exploited. I am talking about a time when a regular internet user with a laptop or desktop computer could easily be termed an internet fraudster. Back then, to hear the latest gist on the street, you needed to hang around market women, barbers' shops, mechanic workshops, and other places.

At a barber's shop, one apprentice who was close to some political thugs extolled how spiritually fortified Sunday Igboho was, how he could conjure a gun out of thin air and it would appear in his hands, how bullets could not penetrate his body, and how he could appear and disappear in the face of danger. Before then, I had only seen such acts in Nollywood movies acted by Fadeyi Oloro, Abija, Sam Dede, Charles Okafor, and others. The stories were fascinating.

When Igboho resurfaced in 2021 while trying to tackle insecurity in the Southwest under the late President Muhammadu Buhari's administration, it was intriguing to see him again. As a journalist, I started paying attention to him and pushing the news. The public bought into it. My editor at the time in Lagos once called me to ask if I believed what I was writing about Igboho. I laughed. I recounted the stories I had heard about him during my days in Ibadan. He found them interesting.

Igboho soon became the rave of the moment in the national media space. I remember when he wore his garment of charms, and there were rumours that he was shot in a Fulani community, but his body resisted the bullets, and that he took the gun from the shooter with his bare hands. An unclear video surfaced, and Nigerians felt a messiah was finally here. Remember, pressing challenges create a desperate need for solutions.

Gradually, he started straying away from insecurity issues and dabbling in politics. It should be noted that Igboho, who was named after his hometown Igboho in Oyo State, became stupendously rich through his involvement in politics. The nature of his roles depends on who you ask. A man of very limited education and convincing life skills became so successful in Nigeria. How did he do it?

Igboho started speaking against Nigerian leaders and amassing supporters. Dramatically, the Yoruba Nation, a separatist movement representing the Southwestern part of Nigeria, began to gain prominence. Igboho's hardline stance against Fulani herdsmen and other criminal elements soon started to look like harassment. In a politically and ethnically charged country like Nigeria, where peaceful coexistence is fragile, a civil war could break out like wildfire.

At some point, Buhari felt he had had enough. He ordered agents of the Department of State Services to get involved, and they invaded Igboho's house in Ibadan. It was like a mission to kill and destroy. Igboho escaped. Some accounts said he scaled the fence. Others said he simply disappeared using voodoo. Some reports even claimed that cats in his house were arrested alongside his associates because DSS operatives believed he might have transformed into one.

Igboho went on the run. He was declared wanted by the Nigerian government. He tried to flee the country and ended up in the Benin Republic, where he was apprehended and incarcerated. Buhari wanted him repatriated to Nigeria to face the full wrath of the law. The kind of treatment meted out to Nnamdi Kanu awaited him, but the French speaking country refused to hand him over. Igboho remained in exile until Buhari left power, and the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu facilitated his return. He quietly came back to Nigeria and kept a low profile in Ibadan, his base.

The publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, alleged that Igboho was a political mercenary hired by Tinubu. He claimed that the Yoruba Nation movement was a means of pressuring Buhari to cede power to the South when it appeared the presidency might remain in the North. Igboho later seemed to lend credence to this claim by wearing a customised cap bearing Tinubu’s insignia at a political campaign event. This attracted outrage and overshadowed his influence.

The kidnapping of 39 pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State presented another opportunity for Igboho, and he seized it.

Shortly after, Igboho floated the Iru Ekun, also known as Leopard’s Tail security network, to combat insecurity in the Southwest. Pictures of men in security uniforms bearing arms appeared on social media, despite having no government backing for such a sensitive role. Igboho granted an interview and boasted that Tinubu would approve it, which meant putting the cart before the horse. Tinubu has since maintained silence.

In a country often perceived as lawless, Igboho began operations without a security licence. Rumours circulated that a kidnapped pregnant woman was released for free in his hometown after he issued a two-hour ultimatum. His perceived heroism spread across the media, and he returned to public discourse.

I like the idea of Iru Ekun, but I am worried that we may end up solving one problem while creating another massive problem. In Nigeria, we often fail to learn from history, and this has made us victims of it repeatedly. Igboho might be a good man with good intentions, but he lacks public trust. He is widely seen as a political tool for the highest bidder.

One wonders why Igboho has refused to collaborate with the existing Amotekun Security Network. Why is he so determined to establish his own structure? Is it about financial gain, like the pipeline security contract awarded to Chief Oweizidei Thomas Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo, in the Niger Delta, which has evolved into a political force?

Boko Haram started as a simple ideological movement in the Northeast before spiralling out of control. The Bakassi Boys, founded in 1998, initially tackled insecurity in the Southeast before being infiltrated by politicians and turning into a menace. The human rights abuses linked to them are mind boggling. The Eastern Security Network, the paramilitary arm of IPOB, was also formed with a supposed noble aim before becoming an enemy of the state.

What assurance do we have that Iru Ekun will not evolve into a political group or security threat, given Igboho’s political history?

With all sincerity, Igboho’s approach is brash, amateurish, highly impulsive, and uncouth. His moves are hardly intelligence driven. He often threatens people with violence and shows a high tendency to take the law into his own hands. He has spoken about reclaiming the lands of his forefathers from Fulani settlers and has reportedly invaded homes without warrants in search of unclear objectives. From his rhetoric, it appears he views all Fulanis as criminals.

Some Fulani groups are already issuing threats and calling on the government to restrain him. It may not be long before events spiral into widespread conflict. The weakness of the Nigerian state is being exploited here. Igboho’s approach is like the proverbial surgeon who would rather amputate an entire leg than treat a defective toe. The question is no longer whether Igboho can act, but whether Nigeria is prepared to deal with what his actions may eventually become.

I dislike the insecurity crisis and want it to end, but I am deeply concerned about creating a new problem that Nigeria may struggle with for years, with little hope of resolution. The truth is simple. When a solution operates outside the law, it carries the seeds of another problem. Nigeria must decide whether it wants short term relief or long-term stability, because it cannot have both by ignoring the lessons of its past.

https://www.facebook.com/thevillagetowncrier/posts/pfbid026WntDJ5rxHiNvh6JP148W55dcx9wtsrzVbsQYL9crbyvdtm7nyw8pxYAX3Vwq4Asl

CC Lalasticlala Seun Ishilove Mynd44 Dominique MissyB3 Fynestboi NLfpmod

face your region,elejo ofo

FreeStuffsNG FSBoperator Richtaiwo Flangelo12 HacheNoire Floki Seunmsg CharlesCNG WizardOfNG Legendhero UncleAyo madridguy iamfraud


I need you to read AMINDAs submission and to also tell you that Southern UNITY is DEAD.


[quote author=AMINDA post=139821955]It was clear to the North that Igboho was being sponsored but the North voted for Tinubu because a debt is a debt and Northerners ALWAYS pay their debts, whether good or bad. That's the concept of "Amana" (trust) and Elrufai did a lot in reminding Northerners of this code when it looked like many wouldn't bother voting for Tinubu. It worked. He didn't do it because he was friends with Tinubu, he did it for posterity as history will outlive us all. Which is why Tinubu has shot himself in the foot by incarcerating Elrufai without bail as he has only succeeded in breaking that "trust". Now, the North will be obligated to return the favour because a debt is a debt. Elrufai clearly set himself as a bait and Tinubu took it.

P.S: Northerners are not afraid of a breakup and any Northerner telling you the North is afraid of a breakup is either being naïve or mischievous. It will be in Tinubu's best interest to do the breakup now because any agitation by the likes of Igboho after he is voted out will not fly, and it wouldn't be because the North is afraid.

Watch the video of Elrufai's speech when he brought Tinubu to Arewa House. Just like Ahmadu Bello and Tafawa Balewa, Elrufai is just one man but in politics, symbolism is everything.

MAJOR THROWBACK!

Yet some ingrates say…………… 🤣 pic.twitter.com/Y2KrfifaUp

— Mal. Imran U. Wakili (PULLO) 👑 #iSTANDWITHELRUFAI (@IU_Wakilii) April 17, 2026

]

All of you mocking Sunday Igboho and his team who volunteered to secure the Southwest forests — God will put you to shame.

The North praised boko haram and bandits when they started, and did nothing to stop them. You watched terrorists on social media flaunting ransom items. You watched Turji recently display his new weapons and stayed silent, or reacted with laugh emojis. Now you’re criticizing the Iru Ekun for playing the same mind game. That’s human beings for you.

You sit in your homes clapping for terror, but blame the government, the military, and patriotic volunteers for not acting “wisely.”

The entire security forces must ignore this group of discouragers. Keep using your well-articulated tactics until terror is erased from social media and from our forests!

SAY NO TO TERRORISM.

[quote author=AMINDA post=139821955]It was clear to the North that Igboho was being sponsored but the North voted for Tinubu because a debt is a debt and Northerners ALWAYS pay their debts, whether good or bad. That's the concept of "Amana" (trust) and Elrufai did a lot in reminding Northerners of this code when it looked like many wouldn't bother voting for Tinubu. It worked. He didn't do it because he was friends with Tinubu, he did it for posterity as history will outlive us all. Which is why Tinubu has shot himself in the foot by incarcerating Elrufai without bail as he has only succeeded in breaking that "trust". Now, the North will be obligated to return the favour because a debt is a debt. Elrufai clearly set himself as a bait and Tinubu took it.

P.S: Northerners are not afraid of a breakup and any Northerner telling you the North is afraid of a breakup is either being naïve or mischievous. It will be in Tinubu's best interest to do the breakup now because any agitation by the likes of Igboho after he is voted out will not fly, and it wouldn't be because the North is afraid.

Watch the video of Elrufai's speech when he brought Tinubu to Arewa House. Just like Ahmadu Bello and Tafawa Balewa, Elrufai is just one man but in politics, symbolism is everything.

MAJOR THROWBACK!

Yet some ingrates say…………… 🤣 pic.twitter.com/Y2KrfifaUp

— Mal. Imran U. Wakili (PULLO) 👑 #iSTANDWITHELRUFAI (@IU_Wakilii) April 17, 2026

will you say there must be no agitation for secession after Tinubu? Why? I agitated before Tinubu and if Nigeria remains one after Tinubu I will still continue the agitation because I know a breakup of Nigeria is the best for humanity and all concerned. It is not something that can only be done when Tinubu is President.

The country can not break up if nobody is agitating for such.