- Sunday Igboho intervened after police officers attempted to arrest Isese advocate Tani Olohun in Ibadan.
- Residents reportedly confronted the officers during the arrest attempt, accusing them of trying to abduct him.
- The Oyo State Police Command said it was aware of the incident and promised a statement.
Yoruba Nation activist Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, on Tuesday intervened to prevent the arrest of Abdulazeez Adegbola, popularly known as Tani Olohun, in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Eko Hot Blog reports that Tani Olohun is an advocate of Isese, the indigenous Yoruba religious and cultural tradition.
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The incident reportedly occurred at Tani Olohun’s residence, where police officers attempted to take him away. Videos shared on his Facebook page showed a confrontation between the officers and residents who gathered at the scene.
In one of the videos, an officer was seen restraining Tani Olohun on the ground while residents stood around them.
A resident filming the incident questioned the identity of the officers and accused them of attempting to abduct Tani Olohun.
One of the officers reportedly displayed an identity card to prove that he was a police officer, but the resident remained unconvinced.
Another video showed men dressed in civilian clothes and carrying firearms attempting to take Tani Olohun away. The vehicle allegedly used by the men was said to have no visible number plate.
The situation reportedly escalated after members of Tani Olohun’s family contacted Sunday Igboho for assistance.
Igboho subsequently arrived at the scene with some supporters and engaged an alleged senior police official over the phone.
During the conversation, the Yoruba activist said the neighbourhood had been blocked and that residents were resisting the attempt to take Tani Olohun away.
He also informed the official that four officers were present at the scene before handing the phone to one of the officers at the official’s request.
Following the intervention, Tani Olohun was eventually released.
In a video posted after his release, he appeared seated on the ground, with torn clothes and visible signs of physical distress.
He thanked Nigerians, Yoruba people across the world and those who responded to calls for help during the incident.
Tani Olohun also expressed appreciation to the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, the Olubadan, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and, particularly, Sunday Igboho for intervening.
The incident comes amid an ongoing legal dispute involving Tani Olohun and the Ilorin Heritage Preservation Foundation.
The foundation had instituted a criminal case against him over a social media video which it alleged mocked an Islamic prayer and had the potential to cause religious tension.
According to the allegations, the video was published on Facebook, YouTube and TikTok and attracted comments that the foundation considered hostile towards Muslims.
The organisation accused Tani Olohun of conduct amounting to incitement of religious disturbance, contempt of religious creed and injurious falsehood. The case is currently before a court in Ilorin, Kwara State.
However, it was not immediately clear whether Tuesday’s arrest attempt was connected to the ongoing case or whether the officers were acting on a fresh court order or warrant.
The circumstances surrounding the operation also remained unclear at the time of filing this report.
When contacted, the Oyo State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, confirmed awareness of the attempted arrest but declined to provide further details.
“I don’t have a comment. A press release is coming soon,” he said.
Tani Olohun has previously been involved in controversies surrounding Isese, religious freedom and the preservation of Yoruba cultural practices.
The police are expected to provide further clarification on the incident in an official statement.
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