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The Federal Government has said Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, better known as Sunday Igboho, is trying to acquire a new passport to flee the country.
According to The Punch, the government also said it had placed Igboho on the stop-list in order to facilitate his arrest and directed security agencies to apprehend him anywhere he is found.
In the security circle, a person whose name is on the stop-list is denied all constitutional rights and privileges a citizen is entitled to.
The Federal Government’s directive was contained in a letter by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) dated July 9, 2021, addressed to the Director-General, Department of State Services, the Inspector General of Police and the DG, National Intelligence Agency.
Sunday Igboho, a spearhead of the separatist agitation for the Yoruba nation, had been declared wanted by the Department of State Services on allegation of stockpiling arms to destabilise the country, which he has since denied.
The whereabouts of Igboho, a lead figure in the separatist agitation for the Yoruba nation, has been unknown since he narrowly escaped arrest during the July 1 midnight raid by the secret police.
Following the bloody raid on Igboho’s Soka residence, the DSS arrested and detained 13 of his associates, adding that during a “gun duel,” it killed two of Igboho’s supporters.
The NIS letter issued to facilitate Igboho’s arrest was signed on behalf of the Comptroller General of Immigration by Assistant Comptroller General of Immigration, in charge of Investigation and Compliance, A.B. Baba.
The letter titled ‘Stop-listing of person: Adeyemo Sunday Adeniyi (aka Sunday Igboho), male, Nigerian, passport number A11613637, date of birth 10/10/1972’ was copied to all zonal controllers and control posts nationwide.
It read: “I am directed to request that you kindly place the above-named person on stop-list. Credible intelligence revealed that Adeyemo is making efforts to obtain a police extract and/or court affidavit to enable him acquire a new Nigerian passport, apparently to facilitate his escape out of the country.
“In addition, he should be arrested wherever and whenever sighted and referred to the Director-General, Department of State Services vide letter no: S.605/A/246 dated 05 July 2021.”
The NIS spokesman, Amos Okpu, however, said he was not aware of the letter. He added that he had no update on the manhunt for Igboho.
“I’m not aware of the letter. Has Ighoho been declared wanted? Well, I don’t have any information on him,” Okpu said.