Popular Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho has maintained that he has not committed any offence to warrant trial by the Beninese government.
Speaking exclusively with Sunday Vanguard, through his lead counsel, Chief Yomi Alliyu (SAN), at the weekend, Igboho noted that the Beninese government was only acting on Nigeria’s directive.
This came as the agitator spends his 117th day in Benin prison today.
He said, “lgboho is still in Cotonou, he is not facing any trial as far as Nigeria is concerned.
“He is not facing any trial. Nigeria is dictating whatever they want Cotonou to do. “But that’s not withstanding, he is not facing any trial. He has not committed any offence. He went to Cotonou with ECOWAS passport and he is not facing any trial there.
“As I usually say, Cotonou is Nigeria’s 37th state. When they sneeze in Nigeria, they catch cold in Cotonou. Igboho has not committed any offence that will make him to face any trial in Cotonou.
“He can be in Cotonou as long as he wishes on ECOWAS protocol. So he has no trial in Cotonou.”
Recall Igboho had been arrested on Monday, July 19, 2021, by the International Criminal Police Organisation at the Cadjèhoun Airport in Cotonou, the Republic of Benin on his way to Germany after a bloody raid on his residence in Soka, Ibadan, by the Department of State Service (DSS) which accused him of stockpiling arms.
The latest development has it that Federal Government, through The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mr Abubakar Malami, said, last week, that it was not opposed to political solution to the Igboho case and that of the IPoB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, currently being tried in an Abuja court for terrorism.
Also, speaking on the trial of lgboho, the apex leader of the umbrella body of Yoruba Self-Determination Groups, Ilana Omo Oodua, Professor Banji Akintoye, said “the judiciary system in Benin Republic is different from the one we practice in Nigeria, saying an investigative judge remanded him”.
Speaking through his Communication Manager, Maxwell, he said, “Here in Nigeria, it is the police, EFCC or DSS that investigate and take matters to court but, over there, they have a judge that investigates after the police must have leveled their own allegation.
“The judge will now investigate and table his findings before a judge that will do the trial.
“l am quoting what Ibrahim Salami, one of his (Igboho) lawyers over there said. Then the trial judge will table his ruling before another judge who will give judgment.
“So the investigative judge said he is still investigating and the court remanded him.
“But we know that the Nigerian government is the one behind it. We all know Benin Republic is the 37th state of Nigeria and they rely so much on Nigeria on trade.
“Ninety percent of the people who do business in Cotonou, if properly investigated, they are there because of Nigerians.
“Benin is trying not to lose trade while protecting Igboho but we want to commend their courage of the government of Benin Republic not to handover Sunday Igboho to the Nigerian government illegally.
“Immediately Igboho was arrested, a helicopter was already there to fly him to Nigeria but the Benin government refused.
“So as I speak to you now, there is no allegation against Igboho, it is only on paper. It is a paper allegation.
“No formal charge, no request for extradition from the Nigerian government against Igboho.
“Igboho is not being remanded over the case of threat to Nigeria.
“It is about the reason why he is in their country, to know if he is in the country to cause unrest or something.
“That’s what they are investigating, we thought by October everything will be resolved but we are now in November. I’m very sure very soon we will record victory in his case.
“I don’t have much to say about that but what we can say is that the Nigerian government is the one attacking and harassing Benin Republic to release Igboho to them”.
Also, the spokesman for Igboho, Mr. Olayomi Koiki, said there was never a time the agitation for Yoruba nation was trivialised.
Koiki said: “We will never be deterred or derailed. Agitation for Yoruba nation is still on course.
“All Yoruba leaders are working day and night on the agitation, but I will not tell you exactly our next line of action. We will surprise everybody.
“We will keep our cards close to our chests till the appropriate time comes to make our plans known to the public. It’s not about engaging in rallies again.”
In a related development, some followers and Supporters of the detained Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, took to the streets on Saturday in Ibadan, calling for the unconditional release of their principal.
They started the protest from the residence of Igboho situated at the Soka area of Ibadan and matched toward the Toll Gate on Ibadan–Lagos Expressway.
The protesters, who were mostly youths, carried placards with various inscriptions, such as “Free Sunday Igboho, he is not a terrorist”, “Igboho Ni Mi”, “Yoruba Nation now” and many others.
The protesting youths were singing solidarity songs, calling on the Federal Government to facilitate the release of Igboho from the custody of Republic of Benin.
One of the protesters, who identified himself as Kareem Adesope, urged Yoruba leaders and other meaningful Nigerians to prevail on the Federal Government to champion the release of the activist.
It was gathered that the protesters later returned to Igboho’s residence where they dispersed after the protest.
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