Lawyer to Yoruba Nation protagonist Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho, Chief Yomi Aliu (SAN), has confirmed arrest of his client in Cotonou, Benin Republic.
He said Igboho was arrested with his wife, Ropo, a German citizen.
Aliu said the duo was arrested by international police in the neighboring country but they cannot be extradited based on a treaty with Benin that any political offender who is unlikely to get justice at home should not be extradited to home country.
Aliu also revealed that lawyers in Benin Republic would be engaged to defend Igboho’s rights against extradition
Declaring Igboho as a political offender, the legal practitioner said the treaty is categorical that any political offender unlikely to get justice at home should not be extradited to home country.
Aliu, in a statement, said: “It is a shocking news that Nigerian Government has got Chief Sunday Adeyemo a.k.a Sunday Igboho Oosa arrested by INTERPOL in Republic of Benin notwithstanding the political nature of his offense and what the DSS earlier said that they refrained from arresting him so as not to overheat the polity of Southwestern 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 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 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.”