The Aare Ona-Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, has called the continued detention without trial of Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho as a misplacement of justice.
Adams who made the appeal in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Aderemi, on Tuesday in Lagos urged the Yorubas in the diaspora to approach the African Union Court or International Court of Justice over the detention.
He also expressed disappointment at the manner the case was being handled by the Beninese Government.
Adams explained that the continuous, prolonged detention of Mr Igboho had shown that the Beninese authority was no respecter of human rights.
“There was misplacement of justice in the way Igboho’s detention was extended without trial. It is evident that the Benin Republic has taken Igboho’s case far beyond the normal legal procedures.
“He never committed any crime. He was just expressing his displeasure under the ambit of law; however, despite the fact that there were no criminal charges against him, the Benin Republic Court still detained him unjustly without trial,” he said
Mr Adams stated that the law of any country that claimed to be guided by the rule of law should be explicit on the rights of individual citizens.
According to him, Mr Igboho’s rights have been trampled upon, having spent over six months unjustly in Benin detention, for a person who had not been convicted of any offence and a person who is not a criminal by any standard.
“I urge Yorubas in the Diaspora to present Igboho’s case to the global community and efforts should be made to seek redress from the African Union Court (AUC) or International Court of Justice (ICJ).
“The extension of the detention of Igboho further exposed the frailty in the administration of justice,” he said.
The pan Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere had earlier condemned the announced extension of the incarceration of Yoruba nation agitator, Mr. Sunday Adeyemo Igboho, by six months.
The group who expressed disappointment and profound regret asserted that as at today, Sunday Igboho has spent about 204 days in Benin detention.
The national publicity secretary of the organization, Comrade Jare Ajayi stated that extending the detention of anyone who had not been convicted of any offence is against the law of any country that claims to be guided by the rule of law.
The group explained that this is much longer than it should be for a person who had not been convicted of any offence and a person who is not a criminal by any standard.
The prolongation of his detention was a negation of the announcement on Saturday by the Abuja-based lawyer, Mr. Pelumi Olajengbesi, that Igboho would be released soon.
The group commended Mr. Yomi Alliyu (SAN) for his doggedness in pursuing Igboho’s case and urged him to continue. “Alliyu’s decision to resort to the ECOWAS Court to challenge the extension is quite welcomed. We are prayerful that the Court will reverse the decision by the Benin Court and set Igboho free soonest.”
The organisation called on the Benin Republic government to rescind the ruling by its court in order to redeem its receding image on its respect for the rule of law.
