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By Oscar Okhifo
Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has reacted to the death of former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, declaring that the man who once sought to take his life is now gone, while he remains alive.
Buhari, who ruled Nigeria from 2015 to 2023, died on Saturday, July 13, 2025, in London at the age of 82 after a prolonged illness. His passing was confirmed by the Presidency, prompting President Bola Tinubu to declare seven days of national mourning.
The Vice President Kashim Shettima has since traveled to London to oversee arrangements for the repatriation of the former president’s remains for eventual internment.
In a video posted to social media, Sunday Igboho responded sharply to the news, saying:
“Buhari wanted to kill me years ago, but now he has died before me. He sent soldiers and DSS after me like I was a criminal. But God kept me alive.”
Igboho was referring to the July 2021 midnight raid on his Ibadan home by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) under Buhari’s administration. Two of his aides were reportedly killed during the operation, and several others were arrested. Photos from the scene showed heavily bloodied floors and walls. There were also bullets holes in furniture and the walls too. Igboho later fled Nigeria and was detained in Benin Republic before regaining his freedom in 2023.
“They declared me wanted, destroyed my home, and killed innocent people. I did not steal, I only demanded freedom for my people. Now look, he’s gone, and I’m still here,” Igboho said in the video.
During Buhari’s time in office, the federal Government accused Igboho of inciting violence and seeking to destabilize the country through his advocacy for a sovereign Yoruba Nation. The raid on his home was widely condemned by human rights groups and opposition figures at the time.
Reactions to Buhari’s passing have been mixed. While some Nigerians mourn him as a statesman and military veteran, others described him as a Dictator who wore democratic robes and recalled his presidency as repressive and intolerant of dissent.
Human rights activist and #EndSARS campaigner, Aisha Bello, wrote on X:
“History will judge Buhari. For some of us, his presidency brought pain, repression, and silence. The death of the former leader is no excuse to forget.”
In contrast, former Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, defended Buhari’s legacy, stating:
“He was a disciplined, principled leader who loved Nigeria deeply. He did what he believed was best, even when it was unpopular.”
For Sunday Igboho and others who clashed with Buhari’s administration, the former president’s death has stirred not mourning, but a renewed reflection on years of persecution, crackdowns, and contested nationalism.