Ighoho: There’s a Strong Possibility that Extradition Request of Nigerian Government May be Rejected by Benin Republic – Akintoye
Globaltimes
4 min read
Says “Leading Lawyers in Benin Republic Are Now Incharge”
A Renowned Historian and Leader of the Umbrella Body of Yoruba Self-Determination Groups, Emeritus Professor Banji Akintoye, has confirmed the arrest of Yoruba Freedom Fighter, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, fondly called Sunday Igboho in Benin Republic.
Akintoye, however, said he, alongside other Yoruba Patriots who are immediately available are currently working to provide assistance for Ighoho to prevent his extradition into Nigeria, saying “Benin Republic is a land that respect the rules of law”.
In a statement personally signed by him and made available to News Men on Tuesday by his Communications Manager, Mr. Maxwell Adeleye, Akintoye called on all Yoruba People within and beyond the shores of Nigeria to come out and ensure that their ancestral land is not defeated by invaders.
“I received last night the troubling information that Chief Sunday Adeyemo fondly called Igboho had been arrested at the Cotonou Airport.
“I and other Yoruba Patriots who are immediately available are now working to provide the assistance necessary to ensure that nobody will be able to do to him anything unlawful or primitive and to prevent him from being extradited into Nigeria which is strongly possible.
“Fortunately, Benin Republic is reliably a land of law where the authorities responsibly obey the law. We have secured the services of a leading and highly respected lawyer whom we can confidently rely on.
“What the situation now calls for is that the Yoruba nation at home and in Diapora must stand strong, resolved that neither Sunday Igboho nor any other Yoruba person will henceforth be subjected to inhuman or dehumanizing treatment of any kind.
“We Yoruba nation are, by the grace of God, a very strong nation. We must arise now to show that strength.
“For a start, we must all see to it now that Sunday Ighoho will get his freedom back so as to be able to move and operate as a free person. We all know he has committed no crime.
“We know that some people are trying to suppress or even eliminate him only because he stood up to defend his kinsmen, women and children who are being massively killed and raped in their ancestral home Land; who are having their assets and means of livelihood destroyed, and who are facing ethnic cleansing and even genocide without having the benefit of protection by the rulers of their country.
“We know, furthermore, that for the protection of his people who are being brutalized, he has joined hands with many of his brethren to take the legally-approriate step, namely to seek the intervention of the International Criminal Court”, Akintoye, said.
Sunday Igboho Surrendered Himself To Government, They Couldn’t Arrest Him – Lawyer
One of the counsels to the Yoruba freedom fighter, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, who was arrested in Cotonou, Benin Republic, Pelumi Olajengbesi, has stated that the activist surrendered himself and was not captured by the security operatives.
Igboho had been arrested on Monday night in Cotonou as sources noted that he was heading for Germany.
He was, however, nabbed by security operatives in the neighbouring country.
CityNews Nigeria learnt that the lawyer, Olajengbesi said, “Truly he was arrested and I have confirmed that. We are making efforts to ensure that he is fine. You know the Department of State Services declared him wanted. We just believe that Sunday Igboho is not the problem. He is someone who believed that the Yoruba people and Nigerians generally should live in peace wherever they are.
“As a matter of fact, let me tell you now. That Sunday Igboho was arrested simply because he wanted to make himself available to the government. If not, Sunday Igboho is not someone who can be arrested that way. But because he believes that the journey to justice for the Yoruba people and for the Nigerian state to be able to live in peace may be needed for him to be available, that was why.”
A source privy to the incident had said, “Sunday Igboho has been arrested in Cotonou. He was arrested about an hour ago.
“He was supposed to travel to Germany through Cotonou this night. He wanted to leave Africa through Cotonou. He was arrested by security operatives in Cotonou.
“They are planning to bring him back to Nigeria.”
Recall that the Department of State Services had declared Igboho wanted after its operatives carried out a bloody midnight raid on his residence in the Soka area of Ibadan, Oyo State.
