Recall that the Beninoise Court had ordered that Igboho should be returned to prison custody when he appeared before the court on July 27.
Maxwell Adeleye, spokesman for the Umbrella body of Yoruba Self-Determination Groups, Ilana Omo Oodua, has explained that the release of Yoruba rights activist, Sunday Adeyemo (Igboho) was delayed by the vacation embarked upon by judges in Benin Republic.
Recall that the Beninoise Court had ordered that Igboho should be returned to prison custody when he appeared before the court on July 27.
SaharaReporters learnt that the activist’s lawyers fought hard to secure his bail but the court only granted him access to medical care as of the said date.
Also, prosecutors were said to have raised fresh charges against the activist during the last sitting.
Igboho’s lawyers said the Yoruba Nation agitator was further remanded to allow police to conduct a thorough investigation into the charges, which included illegal migration, dubious connivance with immigration officers, and an attempt to cause civil unrest.
They explained that the previous allegations that warranted placing Igboho on a watchlist had successfully being tackled.
Some of the allegations, which he said could not be proved, are trafficking in arms, inciting violence that could result in social disturbance, and causing disunity in Nigeria.
But speaking with Punch on Tuesday, Maxwell explained that Igboho’s legal team led by Olusegun Falola had prepared “everything necessary” to guarantee his release.
He explained that the vacation by judges in the country delayed the activist’s release.
The judges would resume on September 15 from vacation.
“The judges are on vacation. They are expected to hear his case after the resumption and he should be freed. There was no vacation judge to hear the case. It is not like Nigeria where you have vacation judges,” he added.
On July 1, the Soka residence of Igboho in Ibadan, Oyo State, was invaded by men from the Department of State Services (DSS), resulting in the arrest of 12 of his aides, while Igboho managed to escape arrest.
Igboho was later arrested in Cotonou, Benin Republic some days later alongside his wife, Ropo, while trying to escape to Germany and has since remained in detention in the West African country.
He was detained at the request of the Nigerian government, who had declared him “wanted”.
A week later, a Benin court blocked the immediate extradition of the self-determination activist to Nigeria while ruling that Igboho be remanded in prison pending further judgement.