JUST IN: Obasanjo Meets Beninese President Over Sunday Igboho’s Detention

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo

“Former President Obasanjo travelled to Zanzibar on August 1.”

EKO HOT BLOG reports that former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, has reportedly met with Beninese President, Patrice Talon, over the arrest and detention of popular Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo fondly known as Sunday Igboho, in the Francophone West African nation.

Obasanjo, EKO HOT BLOG gathered, met with the Beninese President in the Benin Republic in the first week of August 2021 during his condolence visit to Nicephore Soglo on the demise of his wife, Roseline Soglo.

Roseline had died on July 25, 2021, at the age of 87 in Cotonou.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that Nicephore Soglo was the President of the Benin Republic from 1991 to 1996.

According to TheCable, the former Beninese President and Obasanjo have maintained a warm relationship over the years.

Soglo is one of the African leaders who intervened at the time the Abacha regime arrested and jailed Obasanjo in 1995.

However, top sources in the diplomatic circle disclosed that Obasanjo travelled to Zanzibar, an island in Tanzania, on August 1 and rerouted to the Francophone country.

One of the sources disclosed, “Former President Obasanjo travelled to Zanzibar on August 1. Perhaps to conceal his trip; he rerouted to the Benin Republic.

“He was to condole with former President Soglo who recently lost his wife.”

Another source, who was also privy to Obasanjo’s trip to Benin Republic added, “He also met with Patrice Talon. The purpose of the meeting was to seek soft-landing for Sunday Igboho.

“He’s asking the Beninese authorities to grant the separatist leader asylum, and not to return him to Nigeria.

“The former President intervened on the request of some South-West leaders.”

EKO HOT BLOG recalls that the 48-year-old activist and his wife were arrested on Monday, July 19, 2021, by the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) at the Cadjèhoun Airport in Cotonou, the Benin Republic while attempting to flee to Germany.

Sunday Igboho’s wife, Ropo, was released after the court found out that she had not committed any offence.

On his part, the embattled Yoruba Nation agitator was returned to the custody of Brigade Criminelle in Cotonou, Benin Republic.

This came after the Beninese court ordered that Sunday Igboho be remanded in a prison facility in the Francophone West African nation while further investigations were carried out on the case against the agitator.

Sunday Igboho

EKO HOT BLOG recalls that charges against the Yoruba Nation agitator include illegal migration, dubious connivance with immigration officers, and an attempt to cause civil unrest.

It would be further recalled that the Department of State Services (DSS) after its operatives raided Sunday Igbohos’s residence in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on July 1, 2021, declared the rights activist wanted for allegedly stockpiling arms, an allegation he has since denied.

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