A visibly frustrated Sunday Igboho made an emotional appeal for forgiveness from Ooni of Ife on Wednesday, saying his disparaging comments against the frontline Yoruba traditional ruler were unwarranted and in bad taste. 

Sunday Igboho, whose real name is Sunday Adeyemo, said his comments during an Instagram Live appearance were a slip of the tongue that he could not have been bold enough to repeat before Enitan Ogunwusi, who has been the king of historic Yoruba town of Ile-Ife since 2015.

Speaking in Yoruba in the video on Facebook Wednesday night, Igboho said he was frustrated about widespread abductions and killings linked to herdsmen of Fulani origin — a perennial crisis he said Yoruba leaders appeared to have been too timid to take up with President Muhammadu Buhari.

Igboho said his agitation for the expulsion of criminal elements of Fulani origin from Yoruba land was a quest to secure Yoruba children’s future, according to the video published by Isokan Omo Odua TV. But it has been widely controversial because the Nigerian Constitution accords all citizens the right to settle in any part of the country.

Nonetheless, he said he had been in touch with Ooni, and both have had a discussion on the matter with the traditional ruler assuring his forgiveness. A spokesman for the Ooni’s Palace did not immediately return a request seeking comments about Igboho’s apology.

The video came after Igboho’s comments elicited widespread uproar across Yorubaland. Many said he has started harbouring hubris following his recent fame over his controversial and unconstitutional campaign to remove Fulani citizens from Southwest Nigeria.