The Federal Government’s recent decision to grant clemency to Chief Sunday Adeyemo, widely known as Sunday Igboho, has continued to generate intense debate across the country.
According to The Sun, beyond the pardon itself, the subsequent removal of his name from the official wanted list has further fueled nationwide discussions on justice, fairness, and the recurring accusations of bias often directed at President Bola Tinubu’s administration in its handling of separatist movements.
Igboho is a well-known figure in the campaign for an Oduduwa Republic and, like several other separatist agitators, was at one time associated with allegations of terrorism. These accusations followed a dramatic security operation at his Ibadan residence in 2021, an incident that ultimately forced him to flee the country and live in exile.
Following the announcement of his pardon, public attention quickly shifted to the implications of the decision. Many Nigerians began to question whether the action reflected preferential treatment by the Federal Government. Others asked why Igboho was granted clemency while figures facing comparable accusations—most notably the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu—remain in custody.
In response to these concerns, several socio-cultural and regional organisations weighed in on the matter. Among those that expressed views were the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), the Igbo National Council (INC), the Arewa Consultative Assembly (ACF), Mzough U Tiv (MUT), Afenifere, and the Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE).
Speaking for the Middle Belt Forum, its president, Dr. Bitrus Pogu, lamented what he described as inconsistencies in Nigeria’s approach to justice. He observed that individuals are often treated leniently or harshly depending on their background, a pattern he said has become familiar in the country’s political and legal culture.
According to Pogu, both Sunday Igboho and Nnamdi Kanu represent voices expressing deep-seated grievances and long-standing demands for self-determination by their respective communities. He argued that these agitations are rooted in historical imbalances dating back to the colonial era, when disparate groups were merged into a single state. Pogu further maintained that prolonged dominance by a powerful elite, particularly from the North, has shaped national decisions over the years and contributed to widespread unrest and insecurity across the country.
He emphasised: “They pretend that these are just a bunch of criminals. But this bunch of criminals, when they go to a place, they shout ‘Allahu Akbar’ before doing anything. So, they are not just a bunch of criminals, they are Muslims, and from all that we see, they are being protected, guided and their operations facilitated by some high ranking people in government and in the security services.
“Both Sunday Igboho and Nnamdi Kanu, who are fighting for liberation of their people from this terrorising and domineering group are now labelled as terrorists, while the real terrorists are out there moving freely and, sometimes even when arrests are made, if they are made at all, they are let loose.”
He further observed that beyond high-profile figures such as Sunday Igboho or Nnamdi Kanu, many lesser-known individuals in communities across the Middle Belt have been arrested and detained for standing up to protect their people. According to him, several of these individuals were taken into custody without proper trials and continue to remain in detention.
Pogu described this situation as a troubling reflection of the country’s contradictions, noting that such practices persist because Nigeria is yet to fully achieve true national cohesion and a shared sense of nationhood.
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