Yoruba foremost traditional ruler, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has stated that Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho, was advised to exercise patience before his arrest in Cotonou, Benin Republic.
The monarch said if he had listened, he would not have found himself in his current travail.
Oba Ogunwusi noted that Igboho got carried away by the praises of those who were not even solidly behind him.
The monarch made the revelation in an interview with BBC Yoruba, while hinting that many people advised Sunday Igboho wrongly.
Ooni asserted that those agitating for the Yoruba Nation had their cause within their level of understanding and they gave an option of either dialogue or breaking away.
He said they were trying their best to secure his release, stressing that “you have to be smart and use your senses to get your rights from the government, not by shouting.
“Like I have always told the government, they should have called the agitators for a dialogue.
“God will stay with Sunday Igboho; he grew up in Ife; all that he has become today, started from Ife. Ife and Modakeke all belong to Ife land. He is a son of the soil.
“But how he started, he wanted to fight for his kinsmen from where he came from. He stood up and fought for those killed in Oke Ogun. We thank God for preserving his life. He tried his best but when he started receiving different advice from people, it overwhelmed him.
“I visited President Buhari on his case and we discussed it. I told him that Igboho is our son; he advised us to warn him to stay calm and exercise patience but Igboho did not listen.
“Many people advised him wrongly. He listened to them. He started abusing everyone, including monarchs.
“After I left President Buhari’s place, I called on monarchs and elders of Yoruba land for a meeting to advise Igboho to exercise patience but he got carried away by the praises of those who were not even solidly behind him.
“He hurled so many bad words but he is still our son. God owns forgiveness. We’ve forgiven him. If he had listened, he wouldn’t have found himself in his current travail.
“We are trying our best to secure his release. Who can fight with the government? You’ve to be smart and use your senses to get your rights from the government, not by shouting,” he added.