The Cour De’Appel De Cotonou, Benin Republic, has filed fresh charges against Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, after remanding him in a Beninese prison until the investigation is concluded.
KanyiDaily had reported how Sunday Igboho was arrested on Monday, July 19, 2021, by the International Criminal Police Organisation at the Cadjèhoun Airport in Cotonou, Republic of Benin.
Igboho was arrested with his Germany-based wife, Ropo, at the airport while they reportedly tried to catch a flight to Germany around 8 pm on Monday.
He was charged to court for migration-related issues after he was allegedly caught with a fake Beninese passport at the point of his departure to Germany through an Air France flight.
Although the Cour De’appal De Cotonou ruled on Thursday that Ropo should be released unconditionally as there were no charges against her, Igboho was taken to detention, where he has been up until Monday.
The Nigerian government had requested extradition of Igboho based on allegations of gun running, causing disturbance and plotting for split of Nigeria.
The charges against the Yoruba Nation activist border on arms smuggling, inciting violence, and calling for a secession of the Yoruba from the Nigerian state.
Igboho and his lawyers have denied all allegations levelled, until the fresh allegations bordering on illegal entry and criminal association was presented before the third judge in court on Monday.
Ibrahim Salami, one of the lawyers representing Sunday Igboho, confirmed that new charges were brought up against his client on Monday.
In an interview with the BBC, Salami said Igboho is facing fresh charges, which included illegal migration, dubious connivance with immigration officers and an attempt to cause civil unrest.
“First, the judge ruled that Sunday Igboho entered into the Benin Republic through an illegal means. They also want to investigate how Sunday Igboho conspired with others to enter Benin Republic through wrong means.
“They also want to know how long he has been in Benin republic and his plans in the country. They also raised a charge on whether he wants to come and cause unrest or social disturbance in Benin Republic,” the lawyer said in an interview with BBC Yoruba.
The lawyer 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 pending further investigation in the allegations levelled against him/
A final judgment has not been made by the Beninese 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 Igboho versus the Benin Republic.
Meanwhile, Sunday Igboho has filed N5.5bn lawsuit against the Nigerian Government over the invasion of his house in Ibadan by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).
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