Benin Republic Court sends Sunday Igboho to prison; new charges levelled against him

*As Southerners’ shield of Kanu, Igboho against justice condemned

By KEMI KASUMU

“The richest kidnapper ever in the history of Nigeria is a southerner in the name of Evans. We all see how lawyers and media people have frustrated his trials since August 2017 and even today, nobody is talking about it. I read a complaint that they thought Buhari would lose election in 2019 so they could have a new President that would have freed him. You will never find this with the North, yet, see how they are shouting North everywhere as if north is problem to any of them, whereas, Northern is rather very effective partnership in progress abd development.”

The DEFENDER’s sources in Port Novo and Cotonou, both capital and economic nerve centre of Republic of Benin, have indicated that the Yoruba tribal ‘warrior’ and separatist agent, Sunday Adeyemo a.k.a. Sunday Igboho may not have got anywhere near the end of his troubles, as more charges are newly pressed against him.

This information has been corroborated by comments of Ibrahim Salami, one of the lawyers representing Igboho, when he said new charges were brought up against his client on Monday.

Salami said Igboho came to Benin through a back channel and the judge said he might have had some criminal association while in Benin, calling for further investigation on his entrance and stay in the country.

The lawyer said there were nine lawyers, who represented Igboho at the Beninese court, and that they were all shocked to see how the case turned out.

In an interview with the BBC, Salami said if Igboho wanted to cause problems in Benin, he would have stayed longer in the country, but he was willing to leave the country less than 24 hours after coming to Benin.

He said the court eventually ruled that Igboho be held in a Beninese prison until the investigation is concluded.

A final judgment has not been made by the court sitting in Cotonou, but the lawyers are now seeking to bail Igboho pending the investigation.

He said the case started with fighting off extradition to Nigeria, but ended as a case of Sunday Adeyemo versus the Benin Republic.

Igboho was sent back to prison by the court, following a 13-hour hearing at the Cotonou court of appeal on Monday.

He and his wife, Ropo, were arrested at the Cotonou airport last week precisely Monday 19 July, 2021 and were detained at the request of the Nigerian Government.

His lawyers requested the release of his wife on the grounds that she had committed no offence against the Nigerian state.

On Thursday, the court answered the prayers and ordered her release as well as return of her passport while her husband, Sunday Igboho, was taken to detention, where he has been up until Monday.

The charges against the Yoruba secessionist fighter border on arms smuggling, inciting violence, and calling for a secession of the Yoruba from the Nigerian state.

Igboho and his lawyers had denied all allegations levelled against him, until the fresh allegations bordering on illegal entry and criminal association was presented before the third judge in court on Monday.

The Lawyer speaking to the press said:

“I was shocked when Sunday Igboho was sent to Benin Prison yesterday (Monday). When we started this case last week, the Prosecutor told us it was Nigerian Government he had a case with but yesterday, we realised that the Nigerian Government don’t even file ANY CASE against Igboho. The case he has, as the Judges told us, is with the Benin Republic Government.

“The Government of Benin Republic said Igboho entered their country improperly with the aim of committing heinous crime against the country, he was asked to mention those who accommodated him and drove him to the Airport but Igboho said he ran for his life in Nigeria and he didn’t commit any crime.

“The Judges weren’t convinced, he said Igboho should be transferred to Prision until all those involved in his activities in Benin Republic are apprehended…..investigation is still ongoing…,” Igboho lawyer told BBC.

Southerners backing members in crime, terrorism?

In the meantime, some Nigerians across the regions are wondering why Yoruba and Igbo leaders and some people of Southern Nigeria always stand up in solidarity with people accused of crime or terrorism such Igboho and Nnamdi Kanu, respectively, to shield them from facing justice.

Whereas, one of them said, “You will never find a Northerner, Emir, politician or ordinary man, publicly defending or protesting to shield from justice such people in the North, who have been charged for any crime, terrorism such as the young lady who killed her husband in Bauchi already sentenced to death, Ibrahim Sokoto, a terrorist that Sokoto people themselves handed to security. Even when he escaped through suspected collaboration of some security officials, he was still rehanded over to security agency.  Shiite leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, as well as those accused of corruption such Col. Dasuki, you have never found any Northerner shielding them from facing except where you see Southern lawyers who are bragging and inciting like Shiites to make money” he said.

He asked, “Or are the Southerners saying that only Northerners, whose trials they always collectively approve, are possibly the only criminals terrorising the Nigerian people and that no Southerners are criminals or terrorists?”

He said, “I can assure you that since Buhari came to power, if you check your records very well, only Northerners who committed crime, corruption or terrorism you can find convicted and in prisons.

“Where any Southerner was charged and sentenced, you see Southern lawyers going to court to stop his sentence. That is what you have and it is even if the lawyers would not frustrate his trials in the first instance.

“I can begin to list them. Former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, was sentenced for corruption. His Southern lawyers, Journalists and kinsmen did not allow him to serve his jail term for long when they got the court to trash his sentence. He has been walking freely until recently, when the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) reopened his same case. Bottom line is that, he is still the Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate. Olisa Metuh was sentenced over N400 million corruption, spending from money meant to fight Boko Haram but landed in individual pockets. He was also brought out of prison, no thanks to Southern lawyers and media. The listing can continue.

“The richest kidnapper ever in the history of Nigeria is a southerner in the name of Evans. We all see how lawyers and media people have frustrated his trials since August 2017 and even today, nobody is talking about it. I read a complaint that they thought Buhari would lose election in 2019 so they could have a new President that would have freed him.

“You will never find this with the North, yet, see how they are shouting North everywhere as if north is problem to any of them, whereas, Northern is rather very effective partnership in progress abd development.  Even when KAI and LASTMA arrest them in Lagos, they cry woe about how they should liberate themselves from the Hausa-Fulani race. How?

“I am too sure that the food crisis they cry over in the South now is because of the crisis in the North where terrorists and bandits reduced the farming activities of crop and animal producers. Now, they realize the importance of the North to the South and Nigeria. There are no herdsmen in the South now, why don’t they flood the markets with their own food? Why? This idea of creating impression that the Southerners feel crimes, terrorism and corruption committed by their fellow kinsmen should not be brought before the law must stop. It does not help even their own peace talk less of that it will consolidate their position in the entity of Nigeria.” He said.