Sunday Igboho applies for British political asylum as his legal team fight extradition

YORUBA Nation agitator Sunday Adeyemo has applied for political asylum in Britain as part of his ongoing campaign to avoid being extradited to Nigeria following his arrest at Cotonou airport in Benin Republic earlier this week.

 

On Monday evening, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Igboho was arrested along with his wife in Cotonou as they sought to board a plane to Germany. He is wanted by the Nigerian authorities after escaping arrest when men of the Department of State Security (DSS) raided his Ibadan residence on July 1.

 

During the raid, Mr Adeyemo, lost two of his aides, who were shot dead and 13 more were arrested but he managed to escape and the DSS has since declared him a wanted man. Following his arrest in Cotonou, the Nigerian government is trying to get him extradited but his legal team are fighting this ferociously, saying he did not commit any offence in Benin Republic.

 

Apparently, Mr Igboho had applied to Britain for asylum and was on his way there via Germany when he was intercepted by the Beninoise authorities. One of his lawyers based in Texas in the US, Ebenezer Olanrewaju, said Benin Republic had no reason to extradite Mr Igboho because he had not committed any crime in its territory.

 

Mr Olanrewaju added: “He was arrested under a false alarm raised by the Nigerian government. We are on top of the situation right now and have successfully notified the British government of the dangers of letting Sunday Adeyemo return to Nigeria where his life is at risk."

 

He stated that Mr Igboho’s asylum request would be granted by Britain and that Benin Republic would be convinced to allow him continue with his trip to Europe. Yoruba Nation members are now planning to escalate a series of protests to force the Nigerian government to back down.

 

Olayomi Koiki, one of Mr Igboho's aides, said that the agitators would stage their first protest this afternoon in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. He added that the protesters would demand the immediate release of Mr Igboho by the Benin Republic authorities.

 

Mr Koiki said: “Please we beg all agitators to converge at Chief Sunday Igboho’s house for a peaceful demonstration to show the world the kind of person he is, as one of the conditions given for his release. Please let’s all be at his house in Soka, Ibadan, before 12 o’clock today, thanks and God bless Yoruba nation now.”

 

Mr Igboho  may be arraigned in court today for being in possession of a Beninoise passport, which is considered an immigration offence. Nigeria's ambassador to Benin Republic, former chief of army staff Lt General Tukur Buratai, was believed to be instrumental in the arrest of Mr Igboho and his wife as he wrote the government and insisted on the arrest and extradition of both of them.

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