Legal Nigeria

Lawyer: Igboho carrying his cross alone — no one is funding his court cases

Lawyer: Igboho carrying his cross alone — no one is funding his court cases

by Taiwo Adebulu 

Yomi Aliyu, counsel to Sunday Adeyemo, a Yoruba youth leader better known as Sunday Igboho, says no group or individual is funding the court cases involving his client.

In a statement on Saturday, Aliu said he has rejected “peanuts” donated towards the court trials based on Igboho’s instruction.

He added that Igboho has been carrying his cross alone and he is ready to follow the cases to logical conclusions.

“It has come to our notice that various groups and individuals that have nothing to do with the case filed by Chief Sunday Adeyemo a.k.a Igboho Oosa have been laying claims to sponsoring the suits and/or criticising decisions of court thereon,” Aliyu said.

“We want to be quick to say that as at today no group and/or individual has contributed a kobo to the two cases going on in Nigeria to wit, his aides case in Abuja and the Ibadan matter. Various peanuts offered by some very loud groups have been turned down by me on my client’s instructions.

“He has been carrying his cross alone with no assistance from home or abroad! People should be brave to challenge any individual and/or group asking them for money on bail on his behalf or those of his aides!

“Bail is free in all Courts in Nigeria and as such neither Igboho nor his aides need assistance on bail. Our client is willing and able to prosecute his matters to logical conclusions without peanuts being offered by those claiming to be involved in his struggle.

“We also wish to educate those criticising the bail conditions ordered by the Federal High Court, Abuja. The criticisms are unfounded and only came out of ignorance of the law on bail. The judge has a discretion which had been exercised by him judicial and judiciously in our matter.

“The sagacity and bravery of the Judiciary should be commended in this season of anomy where security outfits, especially DSS, are lords unto themselves with no respect for the rule of law and or institution for same.”

In July, Igboho and Ropo, his wife, were arrested at Cadjèhoun Airport in Cotonou on their way to Germany.

His wife was later released after the pair were arraigned before a court in the country, but Igboho remains in custody after extradition hearing on the request of the Nigerian government was stalled.

On Wednesday, a high court in Ibadan, Oyo state, had granted an ex-parte motion restraining the Department of State Services (DSS) and attorney-general of the federation from “arresting, intimidating, harassing, and blocking bank accounts of Sunday Adeyemo better known as Igboho.