Yoruba Nation agitators have started fundraising to meet the bail by the Federal High Court granted to 12 detained aides of Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho.
Communications Manager of Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide, Maxwell Adeleye, made this known in a statement titled, ‘Emergency Bail Contributions For 12 Yoruba Agitators In Abuja’.
The group led by Prof Banji Akintoye said “accounts were prepared to temporarily raise funds needed to move our people arrested at Chief Sunday Adeyemo Igboho’s house out of the bondage of the Nigerian Government before the close of business on Monday 9th August, 2021.
“Our Legal Adviser has promised to supervise the utilisation of the funds for the purpose which it was created for. We hereby call on all Yoruba Sons and Daughters Worldwide to support this drive.”
Recall that Justice Obiora Egwuatu last Wednesday granted bail to the 12 applicants after they spent five weeks in the custody of the Department of State Services. The detained persons were arrested on July 1, 2021, when the secret police raided the Ibadan residence of Igboho around 1am.
The secret police had also said it killed two other associates of the activist in a gun duel and subsequently declared Igboho wanted for allegedly stockpiling arms to destabilise Nigeria under the pretext of Yoruba Nation but the activist, who is now in a Beninese detention facility, had denied the allegation.
Igboho’s aides had approached the court in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/647/2021 through their lawyers led by Pelumi Olajengbesi to seek their release from DSS custody.
After many adjournments by the court as well as arguments and counter-arguments from the applicants’ lawyers and the DSS’ lawyer, Idowu Awo, the judge granted bail to all the applicants.
The judge stated that it was clear that no charge had been preferred against the applicants who have been in custody since July 1 when they were arrested and detained by the Department of State Services.
He also said, “By the extant laws of the land, the applicants are presumed to be innocent until proven otherwise.”
He, therefore, granted bail to all the 12 detained aides on varying terms.
