The Director-General of the Ekiti State Council for Arts and Culture, Wale Ojo-Lanre, has narrated how he spent 10mins with the popular Yoruba Nation agitation leader, Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho.
Recall that Igboho was declared wanted on July 2 after a raid on his Ibadan residence by operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) but he escaped arrest to Benin Republic and was arrested by the country’s security operatives.
According to Ojo-Lanre, Igboho’s Cotonou-based lawyer and a professor who is also the head of the legal team, Ibrahim Salami, explained the intricacies of the case against Igboho to him.
“He (Salami) was blunt and real unlike those who want to be sensational about the Igboho issue to make money, cheap fame and attention.
“Your brother, our brother, has no fake Benionise passport and was not chained in police custody but was handcuffed; which is normal,” Ojo-Lanre was informed.
The Ekiti state governor’s aide said he was told that Igboho has not done anything wrong against Benin Republic.
“He (Igboho) has so far not flouted the laws of this country despite allegations from the Nigerian government of this and that.
“Although he scrambled to Cutonou via the footpath on a bike but remember, he is an ECOWAS citizen with rights to ECOWAS protocols,” the lawyer told Fayemi’s aide.
It is worthy to note that in May 1979, four years after the promulgation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) treaty relating to the Free Movement of Persons, Residence and Establishment stipulates that among other things the right of community citizens to enter, reside and
establish economic activities in the territory of member states and outlined a three-phased approach to achieve the “complete freedom of movement” envisaged by the treaty.
But all those didn’t interest the Ekiti State Council for Arts and Culture boss, according to him, he asked that he should be taken to Igboho himself.
“Not so much interested in all these tales, I asked him if I can visit Sunday Igboho in the police custody,” Ojo-Lanre reportedly asked the lawyer.
Prof. Salami answered in affirmative, “Oh yes! I will talk to an officer in there.”
Salami placed a call and Wale Ojo-Lanre was asked to come over. Without too much ado, a lady was assigned to him to take him there.
“Igboho lawyer asked a black lady who God blessed with a figure 8 to take me there since I was an inquisitive soul.
“As I arrived at the station, just a kilometre from the Lawyer’s office, all the police officers stood up and did a salute for me. ça va! I saluted and they all chorused back ça va bien merci!
“I was ushered into the office of the head of the police and he said delightedly, “Great ambassador of Tourism, we have been expecting you. Your brother is here!”
“He led me into a private cell where I saw Ighoho Osa,” he narrated.
It was there that Wale Ojo-Lanre confirmed what the lawyer told him that against popular news being circulated, Igboho wasn’t caged like a dog.
“Truly he was not manacled but only having a silver chain around his two arms which prevented him from having a handshake with me,” he said.
“Egbon Wale, e wami wa,” Igboho joked.
“Beeni o!” he responded in affirmative.
“E ma ku opo ilu. I brought a message from the Ooni Adimula of the source, Alaafin of Oyo, Olusi of Usi, Oba Alakola of Akola Ijesa, Aare Ona kakanfo and all Yoruba home and abroad,” the emissary responded.
“Bawo le se debi (How did you get here)?”
“Laissez passer ni mogba (I got a pass),” Wale responded.
“Bawo ni ounje (How is food)?” Igboho seemed to have asked.
“E sa ma dupe lowo gbogbo oba ile Yoruba, awon otokulu ati loya. Now entry gidi.”
“Hope you are not maltreated as reported?”
“Not at all,” Igboho answered.
Wale Ojo-lanre continued his narration.
“As I engaged him in what seems to be some confidential issues, someone tapped me from behind,” he said.
“My man it is 6:30 am, are you not going to Asaba again?”
“What? It was Moyo, my wife. How come she was in Cotonou? How did she find her way into the Police custody to the extent of disturbing my discussion with Igboho Osa? Furious!” he queried.
She smiled and said, “Omo eye Oluru, you were arrested by sleep while watching the BBC interview of the lawyer of Sunday Igboho. You even called me to join you in viewing the video but before I could finish with what I was doing and joined you in bed, sleep has taken over. I had to remove the phone from your hand.”
So he had been dreaming?
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