Emerging information has it that Sunday Igboho who’s on trial in Benin Republic for an immigration-related issue, was on his way to Germany for asylum when he was arrested.
Following his arrest on Monday, July 19, 2021, by the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) at the Cadjèhoun Airport in Cotonou, the Republic of Benin, the 48-year-old Yoruba nation activist who’s desperately wanted by the Department of State Services (DSS) in Nigeria, has also resolved to seek asylum in the French-speaking country.
A source who’s familiar with the matter revealed that an application had been filed for Igboho as a political refugee in Germany, processes had also been completed to file another application for asylum for him in Benin Republic.
“Igboho has already applied for asylum in Germany and he hopes to file a similar application in Benin Republic in the coming days,” the source who spoke on a condition of anonymity was quoted as saying.
“He (Igboho) was already at the airport with a passport. The immigration officers suspected his passport to be fake and so they stopped him. A passport was allegedly forged for Igboho in the Benin Republic for the purpose of the Germany trip. At the airport, they discovered he was the one,” the source added.
Meanwhile, Ibrahim Salami, a counsel for Igboho, has debunked the claims that the rights activist forged the Beninese passport reportedly found on him.
According to Salami, Igboho was only arrested with Nigerian and German passports.
“It is not true that the Benin Republic passport was found on Sunday Igboho when he was arrested.
“What was found on him were Nigerian and German passports. His wife had only her German passport on her at the point of arrest,” Salami stated.
