Tobias Sylvester
Yoruba Nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has reacted to reports that a federal lawmaker is his major financier.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami had revealed on Friday that an investigative report has shown that the major financier of Sunday Igboho is a federal lawmaker in the National Assembly.
According to Malami, Igboho used forty-three (43) bank accounts in nine (9) banks to receive funds from his sponsors, including a serving lawmaker whose identity was not revealed and a terror financier, Abubakar Mohammed Surajo, who is currently in prison in the UAE.
The Minister said the report revealed that Igboho is the owner of a company, Adesun International Concept Limited through which he received a total sum of N127,145,000.00 from his financier between October 22, 2013, and September 28, 2020.
Malami told the press conference that N273,198,200.00 transaction outflows was recorded from Sunday Igboho’s account between March 15, 2013, and March 11, 2021.
He said report which has been submitted to the federal government found connections of financial transaction between Adesun International Concept Ltd and some construction companies and businesses among others.
He said investigations revealed that Adesun International Concept Ltd registered on 23rd April, 2010 transferred N12, 750,000 to Abbal Bako & Sons, which is allegedly being probed for terrorism financing activities.
“It might be recalled that Abbal Bako & Sons and its promoter Abdullahi Umar Usman are suspects in the on-going Joint Terrorist Financing Investigation. Abdullahi Umar Usman is, by way of financial transaction, connected to Surajo Abubakar Muhammad (who was sentenced to life imprisonment in UAE on charges of financing terrorism (Boko Haram),” Malami disclosed.
Sunday Igboho Replies Malami
Igboho, in a statement via his lawyer, Chief Yomi Aliu, said he is a businessman, not a terrorist as claimed by Malami and the federal government.
The lawyer said the allegation that Igboho transferred money to one Abbal Bako and sons owned by Abdullahi Umar was mere conjecture, as he clarified that every businessman of Igboho’s calibre transferred money to bureau de change to buy dollars.
Aliyu also challenged Malami to mention the lawmaker alleged to have sent money to Igboho for terrorist act adding that they would challenge him for defamation.
The statement reads, “Our attention has been drawn to a text press conference by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice wherein he fruitlessly tried to paint our client and those patronising his car trade as terrorists and/or financiers of terrorists.
“I have gone through the text. Sunday was alleged to have transferred the sum of N12.7million to Abbal Bako & Sons owned by Abdullahi Umar. Transferring money to bureau de change to buy dollars is what is done by every businessman of our client’s calibre. Thank God that his passports and various bills of ladings were carted away by the Department of State Services during the ungodly invasion of 1st July, 2021.
“Thus, so far there is no evidence of receipt of money from Abbal Bako & Sons or Abdullahi Umar going by the text conference. What the Hon AGF stated are mere conjectures, not hard facts. Our client according to him paid Umar and NOT vice versa thus believing what the Attorney General of Federation earlier said that Chief Sunday Adeyemo is being financed by people.
”The picture the learned AGF wanted to paint is that our client is being financed by Abdullah Umar allegedly involved in terrorists financing. Who is now financing who?
“Again, Chief Adeyemo is a car dealer trading in the name of Adesun International Concept Ltd. Does it mean that anybody buying car from him or selling a car to him is a terrorist?
“Chief Sunday Adeyemo a.k.a Igboho Oosa was not into Oodua Nation until last year. So finding over N273million turnover between October 2013 and September 2020 showed that he was not a poor man. His house invaded by DSS on 1st July 2020 is worth over N2billion.
“I challenge the AGF to mention the lawmaker that sent money to Chief Sunday Adeyemo for terrorist act whether he would not be damned in exemplary damages for defamation.
“Up till date our client has not been prosecuted or found liable for any criminal act or terrorism. There is also a VALID AND SUBSISTING court judgement that agitation for self determination is not an act of terrorism but fundamental human right of any citizen.
“My learned brother silk and Hon AGF knows that suspicion no matter how great cannot grant conviction. Chief Sunday Adeyemo is not a terrorist but a campaigner for self-determination”.
KanyiDaily had reported that Sunday Igboho is currently detained in Niger Republic and charged with illegal migration, dubious connivance with immigration officers, and an attempt to cause civil unrest in the West African country.
