NIGERIAN government’s allegations against Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, were seen by the government of the Republic of Benin as spurious and untenable, a Yoruba leader, quoting Adeyemo’s lawyer, has revealed.
According to a statement by the leader of the umbrella body of Yoruba self-determination groups known as Ilana Omo Oodua (IOO) Banji Akintoye, the allegations were not sufficient for the Beninese government to want to hand over Igboho to its Nigerian counterpart.
“What Nigerian government came up with were mere allegations against Ighoho such as trafficking in arms and inciting violence that could result in the social disturbance without evidence which the government of Benin Republic considered spurious and untenable, and insufficient to warrant extradition,” Akintoye said in a statement.
He quoted Igboho’s lawyer as saying that another reason his client would not be extradited to Nigeria was that there was no extradition agreement between the Nigerian and Beninese governments.
“The lawyers handling the case reported after the proceedings that Chief Sunday Adeyemo lgboho cannot be extradited to Nigeria for two principal reasons:
“That contrary to insinuations, Nigeria and Benin have no Extradition Agreement.
“That Nigeria has not been able to come up with charges that could lead the court to order lgboho’s extradition to Nigeria.”
He added that the Coury De’appal De Cotonou, hearing Igboho’s extradition case, had adjourned the case till Monday.
The ICIR had earlier reported that the Beninese court ruled on Thursday that Igboho’s wife, Ropo, should be released unconditionally as there were no charges against her.
Igboho, who had been declared wanted by the State Security Service (SSS), was arrested alongside Rope, his wife, in Cotonou by Benin Republic’s security forces while trying to flee to Germany on Monday.
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