The Pan-Yoruba Socio-political organisation, Afenifere, on Wednesday, declared that the latest move by the Department of State Security (DSS) to extradite the Yoruba nation activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Ighoho from the Republic of Benin to Nigeria absolutely negates President Muhammadu Buhari readiness to explore political solution as means of granting him freedom.”
It said the development was a vivid indication that the Federal Government was not genuinely committed to seeking a political solution to the debacle over clamour for self-determination in the South-West and South-East.
In a press statement forwarded to the Nigerian Tribune by Afenifere’s national publicity secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi, the organisation averred that “the intensified effort of the Federal Government of Nigeria to extradite Mr Sunday Adeyemo a.k.a Igboho from the Benin Republic is a clear indication that the government is not totally committed to genuinely tackle the challenges thrown up by those who are agitating for self-determination in the country.”
According to the statement, “were the government to be sincere with its recent declaration of wanting to settle the agitators’ issues politically, it would not be pursuing the path of extradition that it is bent on doing presently.”
“Not only that, the government would obey the verdict given by a High Court in Ibadan on September 17, 2021, by paying the ₦20.5 billion as ordered rather than going on an appeal.”
Afenifere recalled that “last week Friday, President Muhammadu Buhari hinted at the possibility of using an extrajudicial process to resolve the issues between the government and self-determination agitators like Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday Adeyemo Igboho.”
“He stated this while responding to the plea of elders from the South-Eastern part of the country, who came to plead for the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu. The elders were led by the 93-year-old, Pa Amaechi.
The president’s view was a reinforcement of a similar testament made on November 10 this year by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami on the same issue.
“But while giving insight into why the government had not obeyed the court order to pay Igboho ₦20.5 billion, an operative of the Department of State Security (DSS), Mr Johnson Oluwole said that it was because an extradition case had been filed against Igboho and that the rights agitator is in a Benin prison as a fugitive, “the statement added.
But Afenifere contended that “if the Federal Government genuinely wanted to solve the problems thrown up by self-determination agitations, it should obey the judgements already given in favour of the agitators and convene meetings with leaders of the ethnic nationalities particularly those from the South East and South West where Kanu and Igboho came from.”
“Solicitors for the agitators and interested stakeholders should also be present at the meetings”, stressing that “such meetings should be convened without delay,” the group advised.
