From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
The Yoruba activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, has not been released and he is still in the custody of Interpol in Benin Republic, sunnewsonline.com can authoritatively confirm.
Chief Yomi Aliyu (SAN), who is the lead counsel to Igboho, told Daily Sun on Tuesday evening that the news of his release which went viral on social media was fake.
The reporter asked him to confirm whether the news on the social media, Igboho had been released and he was already airborne to Germany on Tuesday evening. He simply responded: “He has not been released. Thank you.”
Aliyu had earlier confirmed that Igboho was arrested with his wife on Monday evening by international police (INTERPOL) at Benin Airport, on his way to Germany.
Lawyers have risen up to prevent Igboho’s extradition to Nigeria on the grounds that he would not get justice and that he has not committed any offence. They argued further that he was just fighting for freedom for his people and self-determination is recognised under the United Nations charter.
Meanwhile, the Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG), in a statement by its chairman, Olawale Oshun, and secretary, Ayo Afolabi, described Igboho as one of the leading activists against the unmitigated terror of herdsmen.
The group remarked that the way Igboho’s house was raided by the Department of State Security (DSS) in collaboration with other security agencies in the early hours of June 1, 2021, showed that Igboho would not get justice if extradited to Nigeria.
The statement read in part: “It is mind-boggling, however, that Nigerian central government’s concerted effort to ground the peaceful pursuit of self-determination by Mr Adeyemo is not commensurate with its groveling attitude towards murderous herdsmen, whose plan to overrun Yorubaland and turn it into a terrorized space is not hidden – but for the solid determination of Yoruba governors.
“Similarly, we have not seen such concerted effort directed at checkmating bandits, who have turned the country into a war zone.
“This appears to be a blatant case of ethnic discrimination, by every democratic and civic governance standard. Mr. Adeyemo’s Ibadan home was viciously and illegally attacked in an unprecedented raid, and in a purportedly undemocratic setting without a valid search warrant. There was no evidence of any resistance against the raid, yet two innocent occupants of Igboho’s house were murdered in cold blood.
“The international community is being invited to note the raid on Mr. Adeyemo’s residence and that there is now abundant evidence that he would, if extracted to Nigeria, be denied justice. Benin Republic, under international law, has an obligation to protect Mr Adeyemo and ensure that he receives justice in whatever extradition process her court might be called to adjudicate upon.
“Afenifere Renewal Group invites the Central government to concentrate on solving the problems that precipitated all the crises, presently confronting Nigeria rather than selectively bullying its citizens on the basis of ethnic nationality.”