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* Nigeria and the Republic of Benin do not have an extradition agreement
* FG accuses an activist of arms trafficking, incitement to violence
* False, unsustainable, insufficient allegations against him — Lawyer
* Abuja court orders DSS to produce detained assistants
* Akintoye, Adebanjo react
By Dapo Akinrefon & Ikechukwu Nnochiri
A Beninese court sitting in Cotonou, Republic of Benin, on Monday asked the Nigerian government to provide all the evidence it has against the Yoruba nation’s agitator, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho.
The Nigerian government accuses the activist of arms trafficking and incitement to violence that could cause social unrest. He was declared wanted by the Department of State Services, DSS, earlier in July after his Ibadan home was raided by DSS operatives who killed two of his associates and arrested 12 others. The arrested assistants were exhibited in Abuja and a court in Abuja yesterday ordered the DSS to bring them to court on July 29 to explain why they should not be released on bail.
Igboho, however, was arrested yesterday before the Cotonou Court of Appeal in the Republic of Benin after his arrest at Cardinal Bernardin international airport in Cotonou on Monday evening while traveling to Germany with his wife.
After yesterday’s legal proceedings in Beninese court, Igboho’s lawyer, Mr. Ibrahim Salami, told Ilana Omo Oodua, IOO, a group defending the cause of the Yoruba nation, that the case of ‘Igboho has been adjourned until Monday, July 26 to allow Nigeria’s federal government to raise whatever evidence they may have to prove the allegations against him.
The group’s chief communications officer, Mr. Maxwell Adeleye, said in a statement yesterday:
“The court released on Wednesday Ms. Adeyemo, Igboho’s wife, since it was found that she had not committed any offense and that there was no complaint against her. As a result, his German passport was returned to him.
“The lawyers handling the case reported at the end of the proceedings that Chief Sunday Adeyemo Igboho could not be extradited to Nigeria for two main reasons:
“That contrary to innuendo, Nigeria and Benin do not have an extradition agreement. That Nigeria has not been able to come up with charges that could lead the court to order Igboho’s extradition to Nigeria. “What the federal government has proposed are simple allegations against Ighoho such as arms trafficking and incitement to violence that could lead to social unrest without evidence that the government of the Republic of Benin considered to be false,” untenable and insufficient to justify extradition.
“The case has been adjourned until Monday, July 26 to allow the federal government to provide all the evidence it may have, and Mr. lgboho has been brought back into police custody.”
God wanted greater enthusiasm from the Yoruba people — Banji Akintoye
Meanwhile, Ilana Chief Omo Oodua, IOO, Professor Emeritus Banji Akintoye, said Sunday Igboho’s arrest was a blessing on the surface, adding that God wanted greater enthusiasm from the Yoruba people. Akintoye, who spoke on ARISE TV, said that since Igboho’s arrest, the Yoruba people have been united.
The Yoruba leader said: “We have received calls both at home and in the Diaspora and they are offering their support. They are helping not only Sunday Igboho, but the entire Yoruba Nation self-determination agenda. It is as if God allowed this to happen because He wanted to gain greater enthusiasm from the Yoruba people for the Yoruba nation.
Nig govt terrified of Igboho popularity – Ayo Adebanjo
Also reacting to Igboho’s arrest, Ayo Adebanjo, leader of Afenifere, the Yoruba socio-political group, argued that the federal government did not have the right to seek the extradition of Igboho from the Republic of Benin on Sunday. .
In a conversation with Arise Tv on Thursday, Adebanjo described Igboho as a “political prisoner”, and said the federal government had “no right” to seek his extradition.
The 93-year-old Afenifere leader said the Nigerian authorities were only terrified of Igboho’s popularity, saying “the ruling power wants to kill him because he is leading a popular revolt.”
He said, “Buhari may depend on chariots and everything, but we have God.
“It [Igboho] is a political refugee. He didn’t commit any crime here. He didn’t attack or kill anyone. He did not run away from anyone after committing a crime. He ran for his life because the power wanted to kill him because of his agitation, because he is leading a popular revolt.
“When they saw the crowd that Igboho was pulling at every meeting, it terrified them.
“Are you looking for someone’s life and asking them to come and surrender?” Who is going to do this? He’s muzzled everyone: the press can’t speak, and there’s a limit to the questions broadcasters can now ask if they don’t want their stations shut down. They silence everyone. But I tell you, they can depend on tanks and everything, but we have God because we are powerless. “
Court orders DSS to produce Igboho’s 12 detained collaborators
Meanwhile, the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday ordered the State Department, DSS, to produce before it the 12 people who were arrested at Sunday Igboho’s residence.
The court, in a ruling by Judge Obiora Egwuatu, ordered those arrested, who have been in detention since July 2, to be brought before it on July 29 (next week Thursday).
Judge Egwuatu said the order was intended to allow the court to determine the circumstances surrounding their arrest and the DSS to show why they should not be released on bail, either with or without conditions.
The court further issued an order allowing the trial marked FHC / ABJ / CS / 647/2021, to be heard during his vacation period.
The decision follows a lawsuit for the enforcement of fundamental rights that the lawyer for the detained applicants, Pelumi Olajengbesi, filed on their behalf, in accordance with Articles 32 (1) and (2) of the Law on Administration of Criminal Justice, ACJA, as well as Articles 6 (6), 35 and 36 of the Constitution of 1999, as amended.
The 12 people that the court ordered the DSS to produce before it are; Abdullateef Ofeyagbe, Amoda Babatunde (aka Lady K), Tajudeen Erinoyen, Diakola Ademola, Abideen Shittu and Jamiu Noah.
The others are Ayobami Donald, Adelabe Usman, Oluwafelumi Kunle, Raji Kazeem, Taiwo Opeyemi and Bamidele Sunday.
The applicants’ lawyer, Olajengbesi, during the ex parte application dated July 8, told the court that the DSS had kept them incommunicado since the day they were arrested and then transferred to Abuja. He told the court that the DSS had since denied them access to their family members and lawyers.
“Monsignor the applicants are Nigerian citizens protected by the Constitution. The nature of our request is such that the plaintiffs have come to this court to seek refuge and protection.
“The applicants have been arrested since July 2 and have been held incommunicado and denied access to family members and lawyers.
“Enclosed as an exhibit in support of this request is a letter that was written to the defendant (DSS), requesting access to the plaintiffs, which was not granted. It is joined in evidence. The point is that for about 20 days now the applicants have gone underground and have been denied their right to liberty.
“We ask you to consider this request as very important and to oblige the Defendants to produce the Plaintiffs. Monsignor, if the issues raised in this request are not resolved, the sole purpose of establishing the judicial system, protecting the rights and freedoms of citizens, will be defeated.
“The world is watching how this noble branch of government will revitalize the awareness of Nigerians that there can be security and protection of their rights by law,” Olajengbesi added.
The claim, which was supported by an affidavit of 8 paragraphs and one exhibit, was also based on 8 grounds.
Ojajengbesi told the court that another 11 paragraph high urgency affidavit was also filed on behalf of the plaintiffs.
It will be recalled that DSS agents raided Igboho’s residence in Ibadan in the early hours of July 2, an operation which, according to the agency, led to the death of two people and to the arrest. others currently in detention.
The DSS, through its spokesperson Dr Peter Afunanya, said they carried out the raid after intelligence reports revealed that Igboho had stored weapons in his house. Igboho, however, denied the allegation, describing it as another government magic. The agency then launched a manhunt for him.
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