Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, a Yoruba nationalist, has filed a complaint with the Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States in Abuja, seeking $1 million in damages for the time he has been imprisoned in the Benin Republic.
He urged the court to issue an order awarding him general damages in the amount of $1 million for the country’s alleged breach of his human rights.
Igboho, after the July 1, 2021 raid on his Soka, Ibadan home by operatives of the Department of State Services, had escaped to the Benin Republic en route Germany but was arrested by the operatives of the Brigade Criminelle on July 19, 2021.
Igboho, through his lawyer, Mr. Tosin Ojaomo, sought a declaration that Benin Republic’s actions regarding his unlawful, arbitrary arrest and detention, violated his freedom of movement, his right to an unbiased trial within a reasonable time, and his dignity.
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Ojaomo, in the application dated February 10, 2022, sought an order for the immediate and unconditional release of Adeyemo, along with his Nigerian passport, pending litigation and determination on damages.
Igboho’s counsel said the application was brought pursuant to Article 3(4) of the 2005 Supplementary Protocol A/SP.1/01/05, by which “the Court has jurisdiction to determine (the) case of violation of human rights that occur in any member state.”
Ojaomo, in a 40-paragraph affidavit, said, “Benin violated Chief Adeyemo’s human rights, including but not limited to personal liberty, freedom of movement, the presumption of innocence, due process, the dignity of the human person, expressed in the ECOWAS Treaty, Article 3(2)(d)(iii), Banjul Charter, Articles: 1, 4, 5, 6, 7(1), 12(1), 12(2), 12(3), and 17(2), Refugee Convention, Article 26, Universal. Declaration of Human Rights, Articles: 3, 5, 9, 12, 13, and 14, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Articles: 5(2), and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Articles: 9, 12, 14(1), 14(2), 14(3), and 14(3)(c).”
