No immediate extradition as Cotonou court detains Igboho

The Beninese appeal court sitting in Cotonou has ordered the detention of Sunday Adeyemo, the Yoruba youth activist known as Sunday Igboho.

The hearing which lasted 13 hours was concluded at about 11:20pm on Monday night.

A source within the court told TheCable that Igboho would not be set free. “The problem is with the extradition, and there is a lot of politics going on”.

Another source added that Igboho repeatedly prayed the court not to be sent back to Nigeria for the fear that he may be killed.

Details of the eventual judgement are still sketchy, but the sources say the judgment means there will be no immediate extradition for the Yoruba youth leader, who has been declared wanted by the government of Nigeria.

It is however unclear if a political solution will be reached between both states or not — while Igboho is in detention.

Journalists, monarchs, and supporters who came to court for the case were barred from witnessing his hearing.

They then hung around the court premises until about 7pm when armed security operatives came to court to eject anyone who was not a person of interest.

Igboho and his wife, Ropo, were arrested at an airport in Cotonou last week, and detained at the request of the Nigerian government.

His lawyers requested the release of his wife on the grounds that she had committed no offence against the Nigerian state.

On Thursday, the court answered the prayers and ordered her release and a return of her passport.

Igboho was taken to detention, where he has been up until Monday.

The charges against the Yoruba Nation activist border on arms smuggling, inciting violence and calling for a secession of the Yoruba from the Nigerian state.

Igboho and his lawyers have denied all allegations levelled against him.