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General News of Tuesday, 20 July 2021

Source: www.mynigeria.com

Benin Republic may reject Igboho’s extradition - Report

Sunday Igboho was arrested in Cotonou on Monday, July 19, 2021 Sunday Igboho was arrested in Cotonou on Monday, July 19, 2021

The Benin Republic is likely to reject extraditing Sunday Adeniyi Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho after his arrest in Cotonou, Benin, The Nations reports.

This comes after the leader of the umbrella body of Yoruba self-determination groups, Ilana Omo Oodua (IOO), Professor Emeritus Banji Akintoye, told The Nation Yoruba Patriots are working hard to provide assistance for Ighoho towards preventing his extradition to Nigeria because “Benin Republic is a land that respects the rules of law”.

He called on all Yoruba people within and beyond the shores of Nigeria to ensure 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 dehumanising 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.”

He added: “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 brutalised, he has joined hands with many of his brethren to take the legally appropriate step, namely to seek the intervention of the International Criminal Court.”

Recall we reported earlier that a Facebook user alleged that the Government of Benin was reluctant to hand over Sunday Igboho to the Federal Government of Nigeria after his arrest became public knowledge.

The user whose identity will be protected said in his post: "Benin and Interpol are currently refusing to hand over Adeyemo Sunday to the Nigerian government".

The post continued: "Igboho's lawyers were fast enough to draw the attention of the Benin Republic Government over the life-threatening attack carried by the Nigerian DSS on Sunday Igboho's residence."

He added: "God bless Benin Republic. They have shown solidarity with their Yoruba relatives. Igboho must not be returned to Nigeria. The Fulani Gambaris wants to kill him."