Yomi Alliyu, counsel to Sunday Adeyemo, a ‘Yoruba nation’ agitator better known as Sunday Igboho, says the government of Benin Republic has extended the activist’s detention period by six months.
Igboho is being held in a prison facility in Cotonou, Benin Republic, after he was arrested at Cardinal Bernardin International Airport, Cotonou, in July 2021.
He had been declared wanted by the Nigerian government shortly before he was arrested in Benin Republic.
An extradition request by the Nigerian government was blocked by a court in Benin Republic on the grounds of “further hearing”, and Igboho has since been in detention in the neighbouring country.
Reacting to a claim by Pelumi Olajengbesi, a lawyer who resigned from Igboho’s legal team in January, that the activist would soon be freed from detention, Aliyu said Igboho will not be released soon.
“Contrary to what was speculated in the news by a lawyer, the government of the Republic de Benin has renewed the incarceration of chief Sunday Adeyemo a.k.a. Igboho Oosa for another six months, even though there is no criminal charge in their file in Cotonou and without extradition request from Nigeria,” he said.
Meanwhile, the development comes days after Kamorudeen Okiki, president of Agbekoya Worldwide, said the group will use traditional means to free Igboho from detention if Benin Republic refuses to release him.
“They should release him legally and quickly because they are not taking him to court again, or we will use our traditional means and powers to take Igboho out of detention,” Okiki had said.
“We are Agbekoya. If they don’t release Sunday Igboho legally, we are going to take him out of Benin Republic. They will just see that Sunday Igboho is out of their prison.”