Igboho: Beninese Court Rejects FG Request For Urgent Extradition To Nigeria, Orders Transfer To New Detention Facility
The Court D’Appal in Cotonou, Benin Republic, has ordered the transfer of Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Igboho, to a new detention facility.
It was gathered that Igboho’s counsel had complained that his fundamental human rights were being tampered with.
The Yoruba activist had reportedly been kept in prison with his leg in chain and his hands cuffed.
According to Ibrahim Salami, one of the Cotonou, Benin Republic-based lawyers of Sunday Igboho, the activist needed support to eat and use the toilet.
Before the new order, Igboho was detained at the Brigade Criminelle facility.
The activist has now been moved to Cotonou Civil Prison detention facility, according to reports.
The Court D’Appal, which was expected to start hearing the case at 10:00 am, barred reporters and supporters of Igboho who besieged the premises. The hearing commenced at about 5:00 pm.
Supporters of Igboho were dispersed from the premises of the court later in the evening, prompting fears that he might be deported to Nigeria.
The government of Nigeria had accused Sunday Igboho of trafficking in arms, inciting violence to disrupt public peace, and agitating for secession. It also sought his extradition to Nigeria.
Igboho and his wife, Ropo, were arrested at the Cardinal Bernardin International Airport, Cotonou, last Monday while trying to catch a flight to Germany.
However, Ropo, who is a German citizen was set free by the court on Thursday while the self-styled agitator was remanded in the custody of Brigade Criminelle in Cotonou.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday morning, the Court D’Appeal of Cotonou rejected the request by President Muhammadu Buhari administration for urgent extradition of Sunday Igboho to Nigeria.
But Sunday Igboho will remain in the custody of the Republic of Benin pending the conclusion of the case against him.
The court also ordered the immediate release of Mr Adeyemo’s German national wife, Ropo Adeyemo, from detention.
The court instead directed an investigation into all charges brought by the Nigerian government against Igboho, who was arrested on July 20 while boarding a flight from Cotonou to Germany.