Human right lawyer, Femi Falana has revealed how Benin Republic rejected President Muhammadu Buhari’s bid to have Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo popularly called Sunday Igboho put on a waiting plane and extradited to Nigeria after his arrest in the French-speaking country in July.
Falana stated that Benin Republic rejected the offer and insisted that due process must be followed if the freedom fighter is to be extradited to Nigeria.
The Senior Advocate stated this during an interview on BBC Yoruba on Tuesday.
WITHIN NIGERIA recalls that Igboho and his wife, Ropo, were arrested at the Cardinal Bernardin International Airport, Cotonou on July 19 while trying to catch a flight to Germany.
The 63-year-old legal luminary noted that Benin Republic, however, informed the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to understand that obeying the law is sacrosanct to them.
Falana said; “The Nigerian government asked the Benin Republic government to repatriate Sunday Igboho. In fact, we heard they had even sent an aircraft to be used to bring him down to Abuja.
“The Benin government made its Nigerian counterpart to understand that this is not a lawless society.”
The Yoruba nation agitator fled Nigeria to the Benin Republic after he was declared wanted by the Department of State Services, DSS.
The DSS operatives invaded Igboho’s residence in Ibadan following intelligence reports he was stockpiling arms.