Finally,Benin Court Gives Update on Igboho case

Benin rejects Igboho’s hasty extradition, lawyers write Germany to stop moves

 Legal team to file additional complaint with German embassy today on Igboho’s arrest

The Republic of Benin has resisted Nigeria’s attempts to hastily extradite the Yoruba nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, to the headquarters of the Department of State Services in Abuja.

news gathered that the Federal Government planned to extradite the activist on Wednesday (yesterday), but Benin Republic insisted that it would not be part of any process that was against due process.

A security source in the West African country, who spoke to The PUNCH, said, “The Nigerian government planned to extradite him on Wednesday,  but our government said the rule of law must be followed as the world is watching us.”

One of the lawyers of Igboho, Pelumi Olajengbesi, in an interview with one of our correspondents, said Benin Republic had shown itself to be a country that respects the rule of law and due process.

The lawyer said Igboho’s legal team in Benin Republic were in talks with the Beninise government.

Benin insists on repatriation hearing to determine whether Igboho is guilty or not –Lawyer

He noted that despite pressure from the Nigerian government, the government of Benin had insisted on following due process including a repatriation hearing to determine whether or not Igboho was guilty as accused by the Nigerian secret police.

news men had earlier reported that the DSS on February 26, 2021, attempted to arrest Igboho along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway when the activist and his supporters were on their way to meet with the 93-year-old Afenifere chieftain, Ayo Adebanjo, but pandemonium broke out and the DSS was unable to arrest him

However, the secret police raided Igboho’s residence in the Soka area of Ibadan on July 1, 2021, arrested at least 12 of his associates and killed two others during the bloody raid.

Igboho escaped the raid and the secret police subsequently declared him wanted for allegedly stockpiling arms to destabilise Nigeria under the pretext of the Yoruba nation agitation, but Igboho denied the allegation.

The activist, who went underground, was, however, apprehended by Interpol at the Cadjèhoun Airport in Cotonou, Benin Republic on Monday night.

Igboho and his wife, Ropo, were arrested while trying to catch a flight to Germany.

The PUNCH had on Wednesday reported that the government beefed up security at Iwajowa, Saki West and Ibarapa local government areas of Oyo State which were adjoining areas to  Benin Republic.

According to the report, the Nigerian government foresaw the possibility of Igboho flying to Europe through Benin Republic and planted a landmine for him in the country through its Ambassador to Benin Republic, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.).

It was also reported that Buratai, the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, had also been pushing for the extradition of Igboho to Abuja but Igboho’s lead counsel, Yomi Aliyyu (SAN), noted that his client could not be extradited because the 1984 Extradition Treaty between Nigeria, Benin and two others excluded political refugees like Igboho and his wife.

A member of Igboho’s legal team, Olajengbesi told one of our correspondents that Igboho and his wife, a German citizen, were still in police custody in Cotonou and his lawyers were meeting with the government to argue their case.

He said, “The disposition of Benin Republic is that it is a country that respects the rule of law. We are making efforts that he is not repatriated wrongly to Nigeria. We are ensuring that everything is done in accordance with the law and we are very hopeful that we would succeed because we expect that there should be a repatriation hearing before they can extradite him if at all they would do that.”

A source familiar with the matter,  who spoke on condition of anonymity, also said, “The Nigerian government has made attempts to get him (Igboho) but Benin Republic didn’t release him. The Nigerian government has asked him but the Beninise government has not released him because the latter has not even identified him as a Nigerian. The only instrument they can use to identify him as a Nigerian is the passport but that is not what was found with him.

“The Nigerian government is still quiet two days after the arrest because it does not have control over the situation. There is a procedure that the law establishes including a repatriation hearing to determine whether the person in question has committed the offence and why he or she should be repatriated or not.”

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Meanwhile, a long-time associate of Igboho has narrated how he told the activist to stop visiting his residence in Cotonou, Benin Republic, the day policemen came to survey his house.

The activist’s associate, who spoke on condition of anonymity, because of the nature of the matter, said before Igboho’s ordeal with the Nigerian government began in January 2021, the activist usually lodged in his house each time he came to Benin Republic.

However, the source said he told the activist not to visit his place when the police in Benin Republic came to survey his house earlier in the year

Recall that presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, had said in January that the then Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, had ordered the arrest of Igboho, who rose to prominence when he issued and enforced an ultimatum to ‘killer herders’ in the Ibarapa area of Oyo State.

The source said everything happened so fast and the Nigerian government had been on the lookout for Igboho long ago. He also said the Nigerian government had written the government of Benin Republic to hunt Igboho.

The source said, “Before now, whenever Sunday wanted to come to Benin Republic, I was always aware.  He would call me on the phone that he was coming. But since policemen came to my house to check my house, I told Sunday that ‘please you can’t stay here any longer’. May be because of that Sunday didn’t inform me.

“On Monday, I heard Sunday was at the airport. I tried to call him that he was not supposed to be at the airport because Nigeria already wrote a letter to Interpol.

“Immediately, I tried to call someone at the airport to tell him to leave the place, five minutes later, I was notified by my sources in the criminal police that they arrested one Nigerian. I asked what the name was and my source told me; Sunday Adeyemo. I shouted. I asked why they did that and they said it was an order from above.”

Meanwhile, the Beninese lawyers representing  Igboho have sought the intervention of the German government to halt the planned extradition of the Yoruba nation activist.

This, it was gathered, was meant to put diplomatic pressure on Cotonou and foil the moves by the Federal Government to influence the Beninese government.