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Igboho wept like a child when I spoke with him on phone –Lawyer

Published

3 years ago

July 21, 2021

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Lead counsel for arrested Yoruba Nation activist Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho, has described as inhuman, the treatment his client was being subjected to in the custody of the police in Benin Republic.

The counsel, Chief Yomi Alliyu ( SAN), disclosed this on Tuesday night.

He said Igboho’s wife, Ropo, a German citizen, who was arrested together with the activist, was also kept in a separate cell by the police in the neighbouring country.

He said, “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 didn’t chain the wife. He was crying, the wife was crying too cease he was writhing in pains seriously. We only pray they don’t pay anybody to kill him. You don’t out somebody in cell and still chain the person.

READ Sunday Igboho: How Obasanjo, Soyinka, Akintoye, Adebanjo, others secured my release

“You know he sustained injury and they didn’t take him to hospital for treatment. We heard that he is appearing in court tomorrow but I don’t know whether that will carry it out.”

Recall that Igboho and his wife was arrested at the Cadjèhoun Airport in Cotonou, Benin Republic around 8pm on Monday. They were about to catch a flight to Germany before Interpol apprehended them.

It was gathered that Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Benin Republic, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), has been pushing for the extradition of Igboho and his wife to Nigeria.

But 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.”

READ Sunday Igboho: There will be no election in 2023

The senior advocate, who described the arrest of his client as shocking, 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”.

The Nigerian secret police had raided Igboho’s Ibadan residence in the Soka area on July 1, 2021, arrested about 12 of his aides and killed two of them in a gun duel.

The Federal Government of Nigeria had placed the Nigeria Immigration Service and the Nigeria Customs Service on alert to stop Igboho from leaving the country.

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BREAKING: FG, states, LGs share N1.123tn in March

Published

5 hours ago

April 19, 2024

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The Federation Account Allocation Committee has disbursed a total of N1.123tn to the federal, state, and local governments for March 2024.

The allocation, derived from a gross total of N1.867tn, marks a critical distribution of funds aimed at supporting various government tiers.

This was revealed in a statement signed by the Director of Information and Public Relations, Ministry of Finance, Mohammed Manga, on Friday.

FAAC has the duty of examining and approving the distribution of financial resources to the states and the Federal Government.

Monthly, this committee is tasked with the disbursement of funds across Nigeria’s 36 states and its 774 local government areas.

This allocation is anticipated to drive progress and support governmental bodies across various tiers in executing their duties.

The FAAC shared N1.152.trn to the three tiers of government for February 2024 from a gross total of N2.326.14trn.

Manga stated that the Accountant General of the Federation, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Madein, chaired the meeting and highlighted the importance of the allocation.

READ Sunday Igboho: There will be no election in 2023

This distribution is pivotal in ensuring that all government levels have the necessary funds to continue their development projects and provide essential services to the citizens,” the statement read.

The statement noted that the Federal Government received N345.890bn, states, and local governments received N398.689bn and N288.688bn, respectively, while oil-producing states received N90.224bn as 13 per cent mineral revenue derivation.

The FAAC statement also noted an increase in the gross revenue from Value Added Tax for March 2024, amounting to N549.698bn—an N89.210bn rise from the previous month.

This increase reflects the country’s economic growth and improved tax compliance.

Despite the positive trend in VAT, the Gross Statutory Revenue of N1.017tn for March was lower than February’s N1.192tn by N175.212bn.

The decrease has been attributed to reductions in excise duty, oil royalty, petroleum profit tax, customs external tariff levies, and electronic money transfer levy.

The balance in the Excess Crude Account as of April 2024 stands at $473,754.57, indicating a reserve for future financial stability.

READ Yoruba Nation Lagos rally: No retreat no surrender, says Sunday Igboho

The statement noted that the FAAC’s decision to allocate these funds is expected to bolster economic activities across the nation and support the government’s efforts in improving infrastructure, healthcare, education, and other vital sectors.

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Tinubu appoints Emomotimi Agama as SEC DG

Published

5 hours ago

April 19, 2024

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President Bola Tinubu has appointed Emomotimi Agama as the director general of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Ajuri Ngelale, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

Details later…

READ FG links Sunday Igboho to Boko Haram's sponsor, says he has 43 accounts in 9 banks

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Army releases Delta monarch declared wanted over Okuama killings

Published

9 hours ago

April 19, 2024

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The army has released Clement Ikolo, a traditional ruler in Delta state, who was arrested over the murder of 17 officers in Okuama community.

Ikolo was released on Friday during a briefing by Onyema Nwachukwu, director, army public relations, at the Army Headquarters in Abuja.

The army personnel were killed on March 14 during a peacekeeping operation in the community.

The Defence Headquarters had declared Ikolo among eight persons wanted in connection to the murder.

The monarch subsequently turned himself in after releasing a statement to plead his innocence.

Ikolo said taking lives is against his philosophy and faith as a Catholic, and urged the army to look elsewhere for the culprits.

The monarch was released to Ede Dafinone, senator representing Delta central, who stood as surety.

Nwachukwu said Ikolo’s release did not amount to exoneration but was only facilitated after the senator testified to his character.

READ Release Kanu, Igboho, seek political solution, group tells Buhari

Others declared wanted over the murder are Ekpekpo Arthur, a professor of physics at the Delta State University; Akeywiru Omotegbono, Andaowei Bakrikri, Igoli Ebi, a lady; Akata David, Sinclear Oliki, and Reuben Baru.

After the killing of the officers, President Bola Tinubu and the military high command promised that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.