By James Orji
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has now joined other prominent Yoruba leaders who are trying to stop the extradition of Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho from Republic of Benin.
This development comes as many south west leaders are stepping up efforts to frustrate the Nigerian government from bringing back the Yoruba Nation activist since he was arrested alongside his wife, on their way to Germany last month.
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi had set up a think-thank, made up of prominent individuals from the region on how to handle Igboho’s predicament with federal authorities.
But the biggest intervention is coming from the former president who was said to have met some Benin Republic leaders, including a former president of the country, Nicephore Soglo recently.
Obasanjo whose major occupation, the magazine learnt was to travel to the French speaking country to wade in on Igboho’s matter, was said to have first travelled to Tanzania, last week in order not to draw attention to himself.
According to TheCable, top sources in the diplomatic circles said the former president travelled to Zanzibar, an island in Tanzania on August 1 and rerouted to the Francophone country.
He was said to have travelled to Benin Republic on the guise of condoling with Nicephore Soglo who recently lost his wife – Roseline Soglo. Roseline died on July 25 at the age of 87 in Cotonou.
Soglo was president of Benin Republic from 1991 to 1996.
“Former President Obasanjo travelled to Zanzibar on August 1. Perhaps to conceal his trip; he rerouted to Benin Republic,” one of the sources said.
“He was to condole with former President Soglo who recently lost his wife.”
Another source who was also privy to Obasanjo’s trip said, “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.”
On July 26, the Ooni of Ile-Ife, regarded as the most prominent traditional ruler in the South-West Nigeria, set up a committee to look into the Igboho saga.
The committee is made up of prominent South West leaders is headed by Professor Akin Osuntokun.
Other members of the committee include; Oba Olusola Alao, the Olugbon of Igbon, Senator Biodun Olujimi, Toyin Saraki, Segun Awolowo, Doyin Okupe, Chief Gbenga Daniel and Mr Muyiwa Ige.
Besides the efforts being made by the foremost traditional ruler prominent political, traditional rulers have risen up in the defence of the Yoruba activist.
The Yoruba interventionists are said to be relying on the historical relationship between Benin Republic, a former colony under the Oyo Kingdom with the Yoruba people.
