- I am not a Yoruba Nation agitator, says lawyer
- Yoruba Nation: ‘You weren’t hired on social media’, Ilana Oodua faults resignation
- ‘How we plan to stop Osun, Ekiti governorship polls’
- I’m Not At War With Buhari, Governors – Sunday Igboho
One of the Nigerian lawyers of detained self-determination campaigner, Chief Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho, Mr Pelumi Olajengbesi, resigned on Sunday.
His resignation followed a clash with the leader of the Yoruba Nation secessionist agitation group, Prof Banji Akintoye over the threat by the latter that no governorship election would hold in Ekiti and Osun States later this year.
The 86-year-old don, in his 2022 New Year message, had said: “Among most Yoruba self-determination advocates worldwide, the determination exists and is growing that there shall be no State Governorship and House of Assembly election in our homeland in 2022. The next election that we Yoruba people will engage in will be the first election in our own new country.”
Reacting, however, in an earlier statement, Olajengbesi said Akintoye wasn’t speaking for Igboho and the Yoruba people of South-West Nigeria, noting that voting remained a human right.
Akintoye’s Ilana Oodua group subsequently disowned Olajengbesi in a statement, saying he was not speaking for Igboho and accusing the lawyer of trying to please the Federal Government.
Olajengbesi later in a statement on Sunday announced his resignation from Igboho’s legal team, saying: “This is to officially announce my resignation as counsel involved further in any matter relating to Chief Sunday Adeyemo Igboho and the Yoruba Nation Agitators.
“As a firm, we are satisfied with our little best in contributing to providing legal solutions and representations to Chief Sunday Adeyemo (Igboho) and associated Yoruba Nation Agitators as far as ensuring the protection and enforcement of their rights in this matter.
“We were able to secure the release of 12 persons brutally and unlawfully arrested by the State Security Service, and also secured the release of an innocent herbalist equally unlawfully arrested and detained by the SSS.
“We have two persons with ongoing terrorism trials at the Federal High Court and our firm will dutifully continue and close the trial having commenced their matter.
“While thanking everyone, particularly Chief Yomi Aliyu SAN for the opportunity, and freehand service, Dr. Olasupo Ojo for his fair leadership and Chief Femi Falana for allowing his industry to be tapped and for the moral support, I most respectfully wish to now step aside.
“I have stated ab initio that the scope of my work will only be within the purview of my professional duty as a lawyer to Sunday Igboho and his aides. I am a strong believer in constitutional democracy, civil liberty and human rights which includes the right to self-determination but I am not a Yoruba nation agitator nor a member of any like organization.
“My reaction to Prof. Akintoye was not to undermine the Yoruba struggle but is based on my personal convictions which I am entitled to. I do hope my friends in the struggle will allow me enjoy the benefit of my right to such a choice as a person of thought and conscience.”
For about six months, 49-year-old Igboho has been in detention in neighbouring Benin Republic since his arrest around 8pm on July 19, 2021 at the Cadjèhoun Airport in Cotonou. He was earlier declared wanted by the secret police for stockpiling arms under the pretext of Yoruba Nation secessionist agitation, an allegation he had denied.
Also, Akintoye has since fled Nigeria after he suspected that the Buhari regime plotted his arrest, saying he was in Benin Republic to secure the release of Igboho, even as the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN) continues to push for the extradition of the detained agitator.
Yoruba Nation: ‘You weren’t hired on social media’, Ilana Oodua faults Sunday Igboho lawyer’s resignation
Meanwhile, Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide, the umbrella body of Yoruba Self-Determination Groups, has faulted Pelumi Olajengbesi for tendering his resignation on social media.
Olajengbesi is the lawyer defending the aides of Chief Sunday Adeyemo popularly known as Sunday Igboho against the Department of State Services at an Abuja High Court.
The self-determination campaigners explained that Olajengbesi was not hired on social media and it was wrong of him to tender his resignation on social media.
The lawyer had resigned on Sunday via his Facebook page, a day after faulting the threat by Ilana Oodua leader, Prof Banji Akintoye, that no governorship election would hold in Ekiti and Osun States later this year.
“We want to state very expressly that we did not hire Mr. Olajengbesi through the social media and it is not ideal for him to have resigned through the social media. Choosing social media to resign is an indication of his lack of understanding of the ethics of his profession. It clearly raises questions on his integrity and honour,” Ilana Oodua said its statement titled, ‘Response of Ilana Omo Oodua to the resignation of Mr. Pelumi Olajengbesi as counsel to the Ighoho 12 & Yoruba Nation Self-determination struggle’.
In the statement signed by its spokesperson, Maxwell Adeleye, on Sunday, the self-determination group claimed the lawyer goofed by attacking its leader, Prof Banji Akintoye, over the New Year message announcing plans to boycott governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states.
Despite its objection to Olajengbesi ‘s social media resignation letter, Ilana Oodua declared that the lawyer would be stopped from representing Sunday Igboho aides in any case.
The statement said, “We, therefore, want to state that Mr. Olajengbesi’s so-called social media resignation is full of contradictions and a paradox. He said he was quitting every case that has to do with Sunday Igboho and the Yoruba Nation Self-Determination Struggle, at the same time he said he will continue with the case of the Ighoho2 charged for terrorism by the DSS.
“You can’t approbate and re-approbate. You can’t be out attacking us on social media and still want to handle the Ighoho2 case. You can’t eat your cake and have it. The public embarrassment, humiliation, and opprobrium that has been brought to the Yoruba Nation Self-Determination Struggle by Olajengbesi in the last 24 hours is enough.
“With the way he has conducted himself in the last 24 hours, we do not want him anywhere near our struggle anymore.
“Lastly, it should be on record that contrary to the claim of Olajengbesi, he is not a personal lawyer to Sunday Igboho, but a lawyer to the Yoruba Self-determination struggle. He was introduced to us by Chief Yomi Aliyu, SAN.
“The Self-Determination Struggle hired, retained, and paid for the services of Pelumi Olajengbesi, not Chief Sunday Igboho.”
How Yoruba Nation agitators plan to stop Osun, Ekiti gov polls -Ilana Oodua
Meanwhile, Ilana Omo Oodua, the umbrella body for Yoruba Nation self-determination agitation, has clarified that Yoruba Nation agitators would stop the upcoming governorship election in the South-West through legal means.
This was contained in a statement to react to the controversies that greeted the New Year message by its leader, Prof. Banji Akintoye, on social media.
The statement was signed also by the spokesperson for Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide, Maxwell Adeleye, on Sunday.
Akintoye had threatened that the agitators would not allow election to hold in South-West, insisting the referendum must be granted for a Yoruba Nation.
Part of the statement read, “For clarity purpose, the decision to boycott and do everything within the ambits of the law to stop the Osun and Ekiti States 2022 Governorship Elections was taken by the Congress of Ilana Omo Oodua on 22nd December 2021.
“Our argument is that with a valid constitution force majure and notice of constitution grievance already declared in line with the United Nations and African Union Charters on People’s Right which Nigeria is a signatory to, the 1999 constitution which the Nigerian Government wants to use to conduct the Osun and Ekiti State Elections has already been invalidated.
“Notwithstanding our position, we resolved to approach the courts within the jurisdictions of Ekiti and Osun States to put our democracy into test by demanding a declaration that there’s indeed a constitutional dispute in Nigeria and as such, the elections in Ekiti and Osun states should not be conducted, hence the basis of the declaration from Professor Banji Akintoye that “there ‘ll be no Governorship elections in Osun and Ekiti States in 2022”.
“We are just trying to explore the Constitutional avenue in the fight for our inalienable right to self-determination.
“Anyone perpetrating or planning violence is not one of us. We want to assure that if we lose in the Nigerian Courts, we shall take our case to the ECOWAS Court or the International Court of Justice. It is no retreat, no surrender.”
I’m Not At War With Buhari, Governors – Sunday Igboho
Meanwhile, Yoruba Nation campaigner, Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, says he is not at war with President Muhammadu Buhari, the six governors in the South-West zone or any government official.
He, however, stressed that it was saddening that the Buhari administration has not addressed the security challenges in the South-West zone which was the genesis of his agitation for Yoruba Nation.
Igboho, in his 2022 New Year Message, said everyone living in the country deserves to be protected regardless of their tribe, religion or political leanings.
The New Year message was signed by one of the activist’s lawyers in Nigeria, Pelumi Olajengbesi, on behalf of his client. It was titled, ‘Sunday Igboho’s New Year message for 2022’.
It read, “Let it be abundantly clear that I am not at war with President Buhari, the Governors or anybody in government.
“What I want the government to do is to address the genesis of my agitation for a Yoruba Nation.
“The genesis is the insecurity in Ibarapaland and other places in the entire Yorubaland where farmers were maimed, hacked to death, kidnapped and raped as if there are no security agents in the country. Everybody deserves to be protected and feel safe in their country regardless of their tribe, religion or political leanings.
“At some points our people became helpless and they can no longer go to their farmlands again. Scores of farmers were butchered to death in 2021 and the government pretends that all is okay. No, this must not continue and this was why I rose to stop the menace. I didn’t speak up to fight government, I spoke to ensure protection for our people.
“My message is that in 2022, the government should rise up and put an end to the havoc caused by herdsmen that are criminals and give everyone a sense of belonging – whether foreign or locals — and stop the attack of our people in Yorubaland.
“I am not selfish about myself, I am more concerned about helpless citizens who buried their loved ones to aimless killings in 2021 and I pray the Almighty God would stop the killings of innocent people in Nigeria.”
Detained in Cotonou prison for over five months
For over five months, the 49-year-old agitator has been in detention in neighbouring Benin Republic since his arrest around 8pm on July 19, 2021 at the Cadjèhoun Airport in Cotonou.
The Cour De’appal De Cotonou since the arraignment of Igboho on July 27, 2021, has not sat, fuelling speculations that the detention of Igboho is laced with political undertones.
Igboho’s continued incarceration has also doused Yoruba Nation agitations in the last five months as his followers and associates have laid low, suspending secessionist rallies as was done in the South-West before the near-perpetual ordeal of the agitator.
Igboho’s mentor in the struggle, who is also an arrowhead for self-determination, Banji Akintoye, had since left Nigeria for Benin Republic after he got wind that the Buhari regime plotted his arrest. The 86-year-old professor of History had said he was in Cotonou to facilitate Igboho’s release.
Buhari’s heat on separatists
The Buhari administration in 2021 turned the heat on separatist agitators and descended on their arrowheads including Igboho who agitated for the South-West to pull out of the Nigerian State over perceived injustice and insecurity. Buhari also didn’t spare the detained leader of South-East separatist group, the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.
On July 1, 2021, around 2am, the Department of State Services stormed the Ibadan residence of Igboho in a Gestapo style, killing two of his associates and arresting 12 others. The luxury cars and the house of the agitator in the Soka area of Oyo State were also riddled with bullets.
The DSS subsequently declared Igboho wanted for allegedly stockpiling arms to destabilise Nigeria under the pretext of secessionist agitation, an allegation he had since denied.
After about three weeks underground, Igboho found his way to Cotonou and planned to escape to Germany through an Air France Cotonou-Paris-Hamburg flight but the trip was botched as the Interpol at the airport arrested him and his German-citizen wife, Ropo.
The Interpol at the airport had arrested the duo at the behest of the Nigerian Government.
The Beninise Government subsequently arraigned the agitator before the Cour De’appal De Cotonou on migration-related offences and for gunrunning but the court on July 27, 2021, ordered that Ropo be released while Igboho be remanded in prison till further notice.
Ropo, it was gathered, now shuttles between Germany where her children are based and Cotonou where her husband is perpetually detained.
The court has not opened the case since then and all efforts by Igboho’s lawyers both in Nigeria and Benin Republic have not yielded in his release as the Buhari regime’s representatives in the Francophone West African country led by Nigerian Ambassador to the Republic of Benin, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), continued to push for the extradition of the agitator.
VIPs indicted, political solution yet to produce results
During his speech on the occasion of Nigeria’s 61st Independence Anniversary on October 1, 2021, Buhari accused a serving National Assembly member and Very Important Personalities of being sponsors of Igboho and Kanu, who is in DSS custody in Abuja and facing terrorism-related charges before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court.
Also, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) on October 22, 2021, established a link between Igboho and a Boko Haram sponsor, Surajo Muhammad, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in the United Arab Emirates on charges of financing terrorism.
The AGF alleged that between 2013 and 2020, Igboho received N127 million from several financiers including a federal lawmaker. The government, however, refused to reveal the identity of the lawmaker.
The DSS on November 23, 2021, contested a N20 billion damages awarded against it by an Oyo State High Court, sitting in Ibadan, as damages to Igboho over the destruction of his house and the violation of his fundamental rights.
The secret police added that the Yoruba Nation agitator was under extradition procedure to Nigeria.
Though pan-Yoruba groups including Afenifere backed political solution to resolve the secessionist crisis in Nigeria after Malami said such can’t be ruled out but the posture of the Buhari administration has shown otherwise.
Pooled from The Punch
