Lawyer Calls on Germany to Stop Igboho’s Extradition for Benin Republic

Lawyer to Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, a Yoruba activist, Mr. Yomi Alliyu, has called on the Germany and Benin Republic to prevent the extradition of Igboho to Nigeria. In a statement issued yesterday, the lawyer said that his client and wife, a German citizen, were arrested by the Interpol in Benin while on their way to Germany.

According to Alliyu, his client’s arrest was facilitated by Interpol in collaboration with the Nigerian government.

He declared that Ighoho cannot be extradited to Nigeria because of the extradition treaty of 1984 between Togo, Nigeria, Ghana and Republic of Benin.

He therefore called on the Germany government and Benin Republic to prevent the extradition of Igboho to Nigeria.

His statement reads: “It is a shocking news that Nigerian Government has gotten Chief Sunday Adeyemo a.k.a Sunday Igboho was arrested by Interpol in Republic of Benin notwithstanding the political nature of his offence and what the DSS earlier said that they refrained from arresting him so as not to overheat the polity of South-western Nigeria.

“The Extradition Treaty of 1984 between Togo, Nigeria, Ghana and Republic of Benin excluded political fugitives. It also states that where the fugitive will not get justice because of discrimination and/or undue delay in prosecution, the host country should not release the fugitive. Now, Article 20 of African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights to which the four countries are signatories made agitation for self-determination a fundamental right to be protected by all countries. This made Chief Sunday Adeyemo a political offender who cannot be deported and/or extradited by the good people of the Republic of Benin for any reason.

“Secondly, that he cannot get Justice or can even be killed is apparent in how those arrested in his house were detained for more than 21days now without access to their lawyers. Even the wife among them could not change her undies for 21days! Which inhuman treatment can be more this?

“Again another wife of our client, Mrs Ropo Adeyemo, a German Citizen, has been arrested together with her husband in Cotonou. What offence has she committed to warrant this?

“We urge the good government of the Republic of Benin and the international community, especially Germany, to rise up and curb the impunity of the Nigerian Government by refusing any application for extradition of our Client who already has application before ICC duly acknowledged.

“I call upon you to rise up and curb the impunity of the Nigerian Government by refusing any application for extradition of our Client who already has an application before the International Criminal Court duly acknowledged,” he said.

Meanwhile, Emeritus Professor Banji Akintoye, a renowned historian and Leader of the umbrella body of Yoruba Self-Determination Groups, while confirming Igboho’s arrest on Monday, announced that he along with other Yoruba patriots were working to provide assistance to Igboho to prevent his extradition into Nigeria,

“Benin Republic is a land that respects the rules of law,” he said in a statement issued by his Communications Manager, Mr. Maxwell Adeleye.

He called on all Yoruba people in Nigeria and in the Diaspora to ensure that 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,” he noted.