Sunday Igboho's Extradition Hearing Holds Today

The extradition hearing of Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Igboho, holds today in a court at the Benin Republic.

Igboho’s spokesperson, Olayomi Koiki gave the indication in a video podcast on Wednesday night.

The hearing was initially scheduled for Wednesday. It however failed to hold, amid protests by Yoruba Nation agitators in Cotonou.

Recall that Sunday Igboho is being held by operatives of the Cotonou Criminal Brigade. He was arrested on Monday night at Cadjèhoun Airport, Cotonou while attempting to fly to Germany with his wife, Ropo.

Sunday Igboho is facing extradition to Nigeria and is being charged for unlawful assembly, treason, and incitement.

Meanwhile, the pressure is reportedly being mounted by Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Benin Republic, Lt. General Tukur Buratai.

A top security source in the Benin Republic told The PUNCH that Buratai wrote the government of the small West African country and insisted on the arrest and extradition of Igboho.

Buratai, Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff between July 2015 and January 2021, was deployed as Nigeria’s envoy in the Benin Republic in June 2021.

Also, lawyers of the activist have however moved to get the German government involved in the trial of the activist.

It was gathered that the Beninese lawyers representing Igboho have sought the intervention of the German government to halt his planned extradition back to Nigeria.

This was meant to put diplomatic pressure on Cotonou and foil the moves by the Federal Government to influence the Beninese government.