Igboho: Obasanjo visits Benin Republic

AN online newspaper, The Cable, on Saturday, reported that former President Olusegun Obasanjo travelled to Benin Republic to discuss Yoruba Nation agitator, Mr Sunday Adeyemo, popularly called Sunday Igboho, with the Beninoise leader, Patrice Talon. 

The Cable quoted top sources in the diplomatic circle to have said Obasanjo first travelled to Zanzibar, an island in Tanzania, on August 1 to smokescreen his final destination. 

He was said to have later rerouted to the Francophone country. 

The former president was said to have travelled to Benin Republic to condole with Nicephore Soglo, a former president of the country, who recently lost his wife, Roseline Soglo in Cotonou. 

The Cable understands the former Beninoise president and Obasanjo have maintained a warm relationship over the years. 

Soglo is one of the African leaders who intervened at the time the Abacha regime arrested and jailed Obasanjo in 1995. 

“Former President Obasanjo travelled to Zanzibar on August 1. Perhaps to conceal his trip; he rerouted to Benin Republic,” the newspaper quoted one of the sources to have said. 

“He was to condole with former President Soglo who recently lost his wife.” 

According to the newspaper, another source who was also privy to Obasanjo’s trip said, “He also met with Patrice Talon. The purpose of the meeting was to seek softlanding for Sunday Igboho. 

“He’s asking the Beninoise authorities to grant the separatist leader asylum, and not to return him to Nigeria. 

“The former president intervened on the request of some south-west leaders.” 

Igboho was arrested by Beninise security forces alongside his German wife, who was later released, while attempting to flee to Germany. He has been in detention in Cotonou since his arrest. 

The Cable said an aide of Obasanjo confirmed the former president was in Benin Republic, though the former president was said to have since returned to Nigeria. 

When Sunday Tribune spoke to Igboho’s lawyer, Chief Yomi Aliyu, he said Obasanjo could have gone to the French-speaking country over Igboho’s matter. 

“Igboho’s matter concerns everybody and it is imperative for anybody who is a leader of Yoruba to be interested in Igboho’s case. 

“Baba could have gone there to mention Igboho. He will tell you the truth. Obasanjo is highly respected by Igboho and he is about the only person who can call Igboho to order. 

“It is not possible for Baba to go there and President Talon won’t ask Obasanjo for his opinion about Igboho. 

“I have no iota of doubt that he must have mentioned Igboho’s matter if he went to that country. Igboho’s matter concerns all Nigerians. 

“In our legal team, we have Hausa and Fulani lawyers that we are jointly defending Igboho. It is not a Yoruba matter alone,” he said.  

Lawyer denies getting financial support for litigation

YOMI Alliyu, legal counsel for Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo a.k.a Sunday Ighoho, on Saturday denied claims by some groups and individuals that they are the sponsors of the case filed before the Oyo State High Court to contest the fundamental rights of the activist. 

Alliyu stated that his group did not collect any amount of money from any individual or group to support the cause, adding that “it has come to our notice that various individuals and groups that have nothing to do with the case filed by Chief Sunday Adeyemo have been laying claims to sponsoring the suits and/or criticising decisions of court thereon. 

“We want to be quick to say that as of today, no group and/or individual has contributed a kobo to the two cases going on in Nigeria to wit, his aides’ case in Abuja and the Ibadan matter. Various peanuts offered by some very loud groups have been turned down by me on my client’s instructions.” 

According to him, “Igboho had been carrying his cross alone with no assistance from home or abroad. People should be brave to challenge any individual and/or group asking them for money on bail on his behalf or those of his aides.” 

He added that bail is free in all courts in Nigeria and as such, neither Igboho nor his aides needed assistance on bail, reiterating that “our client is willing and able to prosecute his matters to logical conclusions without peanuts being offered by those claiming to be involved in his struggle. 

“We also wish to educate those criticising the bail conditions ordered by the Federal High Court, Abuja. The criticisms are unfounded and only came out of ignorance of the law on bail. The judge has a discretion which had been exercised by him judicially and judiciously in our matter,” he stated. 

The legal counsel emphasised that the sagacity and bravery of the judiciary should be commended in this season of anomy where security outfits, especially Department of State Services (DSS), are lords unto themselves with no respect for the rule of law or institution for same. 

“We should not forget so soon the invasion of judges’ homes in what they tagged ‘sting operations’ to embarrass not the judges concerned, but to cow the institution into total submission and oblivion. This is why every democrat and believers in the rule of law should give loud ovations to Igweatu J. of the Federal High Court, Abuja and Diran Akintola J. of Oyo State High Court. Today is definitely history tomorrow,” Alliyu stated. 

Speaking further on the bail issue, he stated that bail is for an individual and can never be granted jointly and “if two persons stand for eight defendants, what happens if one absconds? Will the judge now lift the bail hitherto granted to the remaining seven? 

“The group criticising the bail terms have very eminent lawyers in their midst and have direct access to the undersigned, thereby putting serious doubt as to whether the criticism emanated from them or from the usual fifth columnists in the security outfits bent on putting wedges on the joint efforts of the populace searching for justice. 

“If we have problem in perfecting the terms of the bail, we can always go back to court for variation or at worst, appeal. Definitely, we cannot do any of these on the pages of newspapers and neither shall we encourage anybody to do that for our clients. We are not oblivious of the fact that our client’s matter cuts across diverse interests in Nigeria, especially Yoruba, but his legal teams comprise almost all ethnic groups in Nigeria since justice has neither colour nor smell. It is in this wise that we implore all to kindly ask for clarifications from us before passing comments in the media,” Alliyu said. 

He concluded that all the parties concerned have not shown any act inimical to the course of justice in the two matters before the court adding that he has to put on record efforts by ‘Oodua Nation Group’ to stand as sureties for their members and all others granted bail by the Federal High Court, Abuja. 

 

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