Igboho Had No Beninese Passport – Salami – ClipTv Online ~

Sunday Adeyemo, a Yoruba Nation activist popularly known as Sunday Igboho, does not possess a Benin Republic passport and was not arrested with the country’s passport, his lawyer in the Francophone-speaking West African nation has said.

Ibrahim David Salami, the lawyer engaged by Igboho, stated this to BBC Yoruba while responding to questions on reports that his client is being tried for immigration-related offences, particularly being in possession of Benin Republic’s passport when he is not a citizen of the country.

The Yoruba rights activist was arraigned at the Cour De’appal De Cotonou on Thursday.

Debunking the passport claim, Salami stated that Igboho was arrested with his Nigerian and German passports, and not that of Benin Republic.

He said: “It is not true that Benin Republic passport was found on Sunday Igboho when he was arrested.
“What was found on him were Nigerian and German passport. His wife had only her German passport on her at the point of arrest.”

Igboho was arrested at the Cadjèhoun Airport in Cotonou, Benin Republic, by the Beninese security forces on 19 July while attempting to transit to Germany.

The arrest comes three weeks after operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) raided Igboho’s house in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, in a bid to arrest him.

He, however, escaped, although two persons were killed and 12 persons were arrested, while arms and ammunition were reportedly retrieved from his residence by the secret agents.

The Federal Government, through a letter by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) dated July 9, had indicated that Igboho is trying to obtain a new passport and abscond from Nigeria.

The government subsequently placed the freedom fighter on a “stop-list” in a bid to enable security operatives to capture him.

Igoboho has been declared wanted by the DSS on allegations of stockpiling arms to destabilise the country, an allegation which he has since denied.