…Afenifere slams Malami over Igboho allegations
The Federal Government says it has established a link between Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho, and a Boko Haram sponsor, Surajo Muhammad, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in the United Aram Emirates on charges of financing terrorism.
The government also alleged that between 2013 and 2020, Igboho received N127m from several financiers including a federal lawmaker. The government, however, refused to reveal the identity of the lawmaker.
The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami (SAN), said this while reading out findings of a Presidential committee set up to investigate Igboho and leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.
The 24-member committee comprised members of the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Federal Ministry of Information, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services, the National Intelligence Agency and the Defence Intelligence Agency.
Malami said, “The report revealed that Sunday Igboho is a Director and signatory to Adesun International Concept Limited registered on April 23, 2010. Adesun International Concept Limited also has Oladele Oyetunji and Aderopo Adeyemo as directors. Sunday Igboho is linked to 43 bank accounts in nine banks.
“The major financier of the fugitive and separatists was found to be a federal lawmaker in the National Assembly. A total sum of N127, 145,000 was received by Igboho from his financiers between October 22, 2013, and September 28, 2020, through Adesun International Concept Ltd accounts.
“A total sum of N273,198,200 transaction outflows was recorded from Sunday Igboho’s account between March 15, 2013, and March 11, 2021. Investigation reveals that Adesun International Concept Ltd (belonging to Igboho) transferred the sum of N12, 750,000 to AbbalBako& Sons.”
The AGF noted that Abbal Bako and Sons and its promoter Abdullahi Usman, are suspects in the on-going Joint Terrorist Financing Investigation.
“Abdullahi Usman is by way of financial transaction connected to Surajo Abubakar Muhammad (who was sentenced to life imprisonment in UAE on charges of financing terrorism (Boko Haram). This report shows the nexus between separatists’ agitation, terrorism financing and disruptions of peace in the country,” Malami said.
The report found connections of financial transactions between Adesun International Concept Ltd (belonging to Igboho) and some construction companies and businesses among others.
Malami stated that having received the reports, the Federal Government remains solute in its determination to have a peaceful Nigeria.
“The Federal Government will do the needful, within the context of the legal provisions, in ensuring that the matter is given the deserved attention and those found guilty will be made to face the wrath of the law,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Pan Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, on Friday knocked the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, over the claim that the leader of the Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo (aka Igboho) has ties with major sponsors of terrorism in Nigeria.
The group in a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Chief Sola Ebiseni, said the latest claims made Malami indicated that the Federal Government is hell-bent on destroying Adeyemo.
Ebiseni said: “The Federal Government with its Attorney General, will not stop amusing themselves with illogical reasoning on the nationality question.
“It is expected that the AG would be guided by the standard of a reasonable man, which is a central test in legal inquiry, before addressing the public.
“This time around, the team set up by him, at a time he is hell-bent on nailing Igboho, has satisfied his emotional expectations, but in a most unreasonable and tenuous manner, by suggesting that Sunday Igboho, a Yoruba nation campaigner, would be on the same sponsorship with Boko Haram.
“Only someone with pathological hatred for Igboho and insult to the Yoruba nation will find a common bed for Yoruba nation agitation and Boko Haram which is known to act in tandem with the Fulani herdsmen whose terrorist acts were responsible for Igboho’s campaigns.
“The whole world knows what Igboho stood and still stands for and his peaceful modus operandi, in spite of the unwarranted invasion of his house which was aimed at his life by the Federal Government.”
He said further that “it is of amusing cruelty that the Federal Government which was unable to defend itself of terrorism against Igboho and for which it was handed N20 billion in aggravated damages, would turn around that Igboho received less than N200 million to sponsor terrorism since 2013 when Igboho had never been heard of and when Major General Muhammad Buhari, as former Military Head of State then was campaigning for the Sharia as a law of general application in Nigeria.
“The Federal Government and its security agencies should better pay the damages awarded against them, apologise to Igboho and his household for the acts of terrorism committed against the peaceful campaigner.
“The Federal Government may continue to play the ostrich, the whole world knows those who enacted, engineered, and continue to promote terrorism in Nigeria.”
