Soyinka visits Igboho in Benin Republic

By Akinwande Soji-Ojo

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has visited Yoruba national agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, in Benin Republic.

The visit, according to The PUNCH, took place on Sunday, May 1, with the leader of Ilana Omo Odua, Prof. Banjo Akintoye, also in attendance.

Details of the meeting are, however, not yet known.

Igboho was arrested in Cotonou, Benin Republic, in July 2021,over alleged falsification of his passport.

A week later, a court in Beginning Republic blocked the immediate extradition of the activist to Nigeria while ruling that Igboho be remanded in prison pending further hearing.

Before his arrest in Cotonou, his house in Soka area of Ibadan was raided by the Department of State Services (DSS), after which he was declared wanted for allegedly stockpiling weapons at his residence.

Soyinka had spoken up for Igboho while he was in prison, saying the activist committed “no known crime” against Nigeria, adding that a criminal act was committed against him by the Federal Government.

He had also appealed to the Beninise government to release the activities.

But in March 2022, counsel to Igboho, Yomi Alliyu (SAN) announced he release of the activist.

He said he had been released from prison to his medical practitioners under the agreement that he would not leave the medical centre or Cotonou for any reason.

Following his release, Igboho had called on Yorubas at home and in diaspora, “to embrace dialogue in their quest for self-determination without heating up the very fragile situation in Nigeria.”