Chief Yomi Alliyu, SAN, the Lead Counsel to the recently arrested Yoruba Nation Agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has revealed that his Client is being subjected to inhuman treatment, in the custody of the Police, in Benin Republic, .
He made this known while speaking with The Punch, on Tuesday night.
He added that Sunday Igboho’s wife, Ropo, a German citizen, who was arrested together with him on Monday, was kept in a separate cell by the Police, in Cotonou.
His exact words: “They chained him in the cell where they put him in Cotonou. There was a fracas at the airport yesterday, when he was arrested. They hit him in the hand, and that same hand was handcuffed, he is in pains, and he was weeping like a child when I called, I heard him.
“The wife too was put in a separate cell, but they did not chain the wife. He was crying, the wife was crying too, because he was writhing in pains seriously. We only pray they do not pay anybody to kill him. You do not put somebody in cell and still chain the person.
“You know he sustained injury, and they did not take him to Hospital for treatment. We heard that he is appearing in court tomorrow, but I do not know whether that will carry it out.”
It was gathered that Nigeria’s Ambassador to Benin Republic and former Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai (Retd.), has been pushing for the extradition of Igboho and his wife to Nigeria.
However, Alliyu argued that: “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.”
Speaking further, he urged the government of Germany, Benin Republic, and the International Community, “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 the International Criminal Court, duly acknowledged”.
More news later…