Soyinka Visits Sunday Igboho In Benin Republic, Holds Closed-door Meeting With Agitator, Professors Akintoye, Adeniran

Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, on Sunday visited the Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho, in Cotonou, Benin Republic.

Soyinka also held a closed-door meeting with the Yoruba Nation Leader and the coordinator of the Ilana Omo Oodua group, Prof Banji Akintoye, as well as his deputy, Prof Wale Adeniran, in the city.

Igboho, who was arrested in the West African country in mid-2021 had spent more than five months in custody before he was freed to leave the cell but not the country.

Soyinka said he had always wanted to see Igboho, to “sympathise with his predicament”.

The Nobel laureate, who was seen at the Seme border around 12pm on Sunday, was observed crossing to Cotonou, the commercial capital of Benin Republic. 

He was reportedly mobbed by a crowd while waiting to complete immigration formalities and repeatedly asked where he was headed. 

His response was that he was on a visit to the Yoruba Nation activist, Sunday Igboho to “break the Muslim fast with him.” 

Reminded that neither he nor Ighoho was a Muslim, he asserted that it made no difference. He said he had wished to see Igboho, so as to sympathise with his predicament. 

Ramadan is as good as any other season to express non-denominational solidarity, added Soyinka.