King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as K1 De Ultimate, has implored President Bola Tinubu to grant pardons to Yoruba Nation agitator Sunday Adeyemo, popularly called Sunday Igboho, and the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Ayinde, a renowned Fuji musician, made his appeal indirectly during a live performance, urging President Tinubu to release Igboho and Kanu from custody. Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021, while Igboho was arrested by Interpol at Cadjèhoun Airport in Cotonou, Benin Republic in July 2021 after fleeing Nigeria.
ADULAWO NEWS recall that before his arrest, Igboho had been declared wanted by the DSS for allegedly amassing weapons in his residence. Following his arrest, he was held in a prison in Benin but was later released in March 2022 to receive medical treatment, with the condition that he would not leave the country.
Since his release, Igboho has been confined to Cotonou, unable to return to Nigeria. Ayinde’s emotional appeal was centered on the importance of peace in the country and the need to grant Igboho clemency.
During his performance, Ayinde called on President Tinubu to reconcile all parties involved, emphasizing the unity of Nigeria. He sang, “Asiwaju, please anyone who has offended you, kindly forgive them. Irrespective of their tribes — Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa — we need to embrace ourselves. Akanbi, please let Sunday Igboho come back home, he’s one of our own. ‘Omo eni o sedi bebere, ka fi ileke si idi omo elomi’ (the borrowed translation is — ‘One cannot say because one’s daughter has ample buttocks he would put the waist beads on another man’s daughter’).
“Please, when you (Tinubu) are firmly established in office, kindly address this unresolved issue. Let Sunday Igboho return to his roots.”
Referring to Nnamdi Kanu and other agitators from various regions, Ayinde urged them to engage in peaceful dialogues with their respective leaders. He expressed confidence in President Tinubu’s ability to facilitate such discussions, singing, “Likewise, other agitators from various regions call their leaders to a roundtable discussion. I know it is what you can do, and you can do it.”
Ayinde’s plea has ignited discussions among Nigerians, with opinions divided on the matter. The call for pardons for Igboho and Kanu reflects the ongoing conversations about secessionist movements and the need for dialogue and peaceful resolutions in addressing the concerns of various regions in Nigeria