“We have no idea of who Sunday Igboho is and what is happening to him’ – ECOWAS Court
The hope by Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, to be set free from prison in Repubkic of Benin before the end of 2022 is uncertain.
Platforms Africa reports that the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, which Igboho and his supporters are banking on, has said that it has not received any matter relating to the trial of Yoruba Nation agitator.
The embattled agitator had said that he dragged the government of Republic of Benin before the Community Court of Justice, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abuja over alleged human rights violations.
Deputy President of the Court, Justice Dupe Atoki, alongside other members of the team, however, said that the Court of the 15-member West African countries only concerns itself with civil matters brought before it.
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Atoki said: “Obviously, there has been no complaint about Sunday Igboho before the court and for all intents and purposes, the court has no idea of who Sunday Igboho is and what is happening to him.
“The court is only concerned with matters that have been brought before it and if matters had not been brought before it, we would just be a meddlesome interloper trying to fish out issues in public domain.”
Benin Republic had earlier ‘renewed’ the incarceration of the embattled agitator for another six months.
Many supporters especially in diaspora have lamented about the continuous detention of Igboho ‘without trial’.
Since Igboho was arrested in Cotonou, Benin Republic on July 19 after he fled Nigeria when his Ibadan home was invaded by operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS), his extradition has been hanging in balance.
The legal battle to either extradite Igboho to Nigeria or hand him back his freedom has witnessed a series of dramatic twists and turns.
The court on July 27 last year, ordered that he should be remanded in a facility in the country, pending the conclusion of the investigation.
Reacting to the renewed incarceration, Igboho reportedly asked the regional court to award him $1million as general damages for each day he had been imprisoned in the country.
Ojaomo, in the application dated February 10, 2022, sought an order for the immediate and unconditional release of Igboho, along with his Nigerian passport, pending litigation and determination on damages.
Igboho’s counsel said the application is brought under Article 3(4) of the 2005 Supplementary Protocol A/SP.1/01/05, by which “the court has jurisdiction to determine (the) case of violation of human rights that occurs in any member state.”
