Yoruba Nation Supporters Threaten To Attack Beninoise In Nigeria Over Detention Of Sunday Igboho

Some Nigerians agitating for the independence of the Yoruba Nation have reacted to reports that the government of the Republic of Benin has extended the incarceration of activist Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho for six months.

In a statement shared by Igboho’s media aide, Olayomi Koiki, the Yoruba Nation agitators called on Patrice Talon, the President of Benin Republic to reverse the decision and immediately release Igboho.

They threatened that should the government fail to release Igboho, Yorubas will unleash chaos on all the Beninoise living in Nigeria. 

The letter reads, “To the Government and people of the Republic of Benin, we kindly ask you to release our man, Sunday Igboho Akoni Oodua now from Cotonou Prison (Maison d’Arrêts).

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“He has been held for almost eight months now since his arrest at Cardinal Airport  Bernardin Gantin de Cadjehoun without committing any criminal offense against the people and the government of the Republic of Benin. 

“We know that there are efforts by state actors to hold him until after the general elections in Nigeria next year.

“From the reliable information, we know that His Excellency Louis G. Vlavonou (President of the National Assembly of Benin), Professor Joseph Fifame Djogbenou (President of the Constitutional Court), have done their best to secure the release of Oloye Igboho since last year December 28 but all their pleas to President Talon Patrice have not yielded positive results and he has pledged not to release Sunday Igboho even though Igboho has not committed any crime.

“President Patrice Guillaume Talon acted on the instruction of Professor Severim Quenum Minister of Justice of the Republic of Benin, Mr Olivier Bocco Patrice Talon Right Arm Male, Mr Salimane Karimou Beninese Minister of Nursery and Primary Education who told the President Talon that if Oloye Sunday Igboho is released, he would merge with the entire Yoruba-speaking Beninese community with his Oodua Nation program.

“Because of this, President Talon Patrice has already raised 2 billion naira for this job with a promise from Muhammadu Buhari through Yusuf Buratai the Ambassador of Nigeria Republic of Benin promising President Talon and some of his senior cabinet members that they will each have an area in Abuja and Banana Island in Lagos Nigeria.  

“President Patrice Talon Construction Company in Nigeria (ITB) will also be exempt from tax, his wife Mrs Claudine Talon will also benefit from the oil block in South-South Nigeria. With this, Talon has proposed that the Vodafone GSM operation should also have a soft landing to operate in Nigeria. 

“They had their first meeting together in the premises of Olivier Bocco, the second in Downtown Irede, in Sakete, at the home of Salimane Karimou. Well, we are calling you now, fear the Almighty Lord and release him now, otherwise the whole Yoruba will unleash chaos on all Beninese living in the country called Nigeria.”

Igboho has been detained in the Benin Republic since he was arrested at the Cotonou airport by security forces in the West African nation he was trying to fly to Germany in July 2021.

Igboho fled Nigeria after his house was raided by operatives of the Department of State Services.