Prof Wale Adeniran; Prof Wole Soyinka; Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly called Sunday Igboho; and Prof Banji Akintoye after a closed door meeting in Cotonou yesterday
Nobel laureate Prof Wole Soyinka has visited Yoruba nation agitator Chief Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho in Cotonou, Benin Republic.
The literary giant was seen at the Seme border around noon on Sunday, crossing to Cotonou, the capital city of Benin Republic.
According to a statement, Soyinaka was mobbed by a crowd while waiting to complete immigration formalities and repeatedly asked where he was headed.
His response was that he was on a visit to Igboho to “break the Muslim fast with him.”
When reminded that neither he nor Ighoho was a muslim, he asserted that it made no difference.
He said he had wished to see Igboho to sympathise with his predicament.
Ramadan, he said, is as good as any other season to express non-denominational solidarity.
Igboho and his wife, Ropo, were arrested on July 19, 2021, by the International Criminal Police Organisation at the Cadjèhoun Airport in Cotonou, the Republic of Benin, on their way to Germany.
Beninoise officials later released his wife but Igboho remained in detention until March this year, when they released him on the condition that he remain in the country “for the time being under full security,” according to his lawyer, Yomi Aliyu.
Last year, Soyinka had joined other Nigerians to condemn the invasion of Igboho’s home in Ibadan by armed officials of the State Security Service (SSS).
At least two of Igboho’s supporters were killed during the incident.
Igboho’s lawyer said Prof Soyinka, Prof Akintoye were instrumental in his release
Benin Republic authorities had released Igboho from prison to his medical practitioners, his lawyer, Alliyu, had said.
Alliyu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said in a statement that Igboho’s release was under the agreement that he should not leave the medical centre or Cotonou for any reason.
He had said: “I am to inform you that Chief Sunday Adeyemo, a.k.a Igboho, has been released from prison to his medical practitioners under the agreement that he should not leave the medical centre or Cotonou for any reason.
“Praises should be given to two prominent Yoruba personalities to wit: Prof. Wole Soyinka and Prof. Akintoye for this turn around in our client’s matter.”
