By Bala Ibrahim.
Less than a month after the DSS has declared him wanted, a local newspaper in the neighboring Benin Republic, by name Banouto Reporters, announced the arrest of Sunday Igboho, the self acclaimed campaigner for Yoruba self-determination, or the champion for the actualization of the Oduduwa Republic.
The paper said Igboho was arrested in Cotonou, while trying to flee to Germany. “Mr Igboho was nabbed at Cardinal Bernardin International Airport in Cotonou. He was disembarked from his plane, arrested by the Beninese police while he was trying to travel to Germany and then transferred to the Cotonou Criminal Brigade.”- Banouto Reporters.
For some reasons, neither Buhari nor Nigeria’s Interpol, which has adopted the strategy of working silently since the coming of IGP Alkali, uttered a word about the drama. The social media soldiers were allowed the freedom of fielding the news space with all manner of information, including the terrible lies that trended yesterday Tuesday, July 20th, 2021, saying the authorities in Benin Republic have released Igboho and permitted him to continue with his journey to Germany.
While as usual, Buhari ignored all and went busy attending to the Sallah situation in his hometown of Daura, the social media soldiers started countering themselves by themselves.
One of the planted stories reads, “Contrary to reports and various press release on social media that Sunday Adeyemo (popularly called Sunday Igboho) has been released and flown to Germany, the Yoruba nation agitator is still being held by the authorities in Cotonou, Benin Republic”.
The speculations got a human face when Mr. Wale Adeniran, one of the leaders of Ilana Omo Odua, a body of Yoruba self-determination groups, appeared in a zoom conversation with Heritage Multimedia TV yesterday evening, saying that Igboho is still in captivity at the neighboring Benin Republic.
“I have just spoken with his lawyer. The lawyer has visited the location where he (Igboho) is being held. He was not allowed to see him (Igboho) but they confirmed to him that they are holding him in that location. He was asked to come back tomorrow (Wednesday) by 8:00 a.m. to see him”- Wale Adeniran.
Other stories commenced quoting an anonymous Beninese official saying, “We have strict laws here in Benin Republic. Those people who helped him obtained a Beninese Passport misled him because they didn’t tell him the danger ahead, being a fugitive. There is a 22 years imprisonment for acquisition of illegal passport in Benin Republic. And that law is very much applicable here”.
In his song, entitled, Double wahala for dead body, which was dedicated to Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Oritse Femi said,
“You dey dey there dey hate me. When I am making my money. From Moscow to Malaysia. From Malaysia to Miami. If I like I spend my money. Anyway I like it oo
Oh oh. No come near me Mr talku talku. And if you gossip me. You go chop knuckle. Double wahala for dead body.”
Almost about this time last month, Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, at a joint press briefing with the State Security Service in Abuja, gave the country the good news of the international collaborative efforts with security agencies, that led to the arrest of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, and his eventual repatriation to Nigeria to face his trial. The amount of accolades accorded Buhari and the security operatives was unquantifiable.
On the war with bandits, Boko Haram and ISWAP, the reports are increasingly becoming gladdening to the heart and extremely encouraging to the nerves of the nation.
While the Nigerian Army is reporting daily successes through constant killings and surrender by the insurgents, citizens, particularly those living in Borno and environs, are ceaselessly cheering Buhari for the new efforts employed, which are making the terrorists to flee, because of intense aerial and artillery bombardments.
For the first time in many years, the people of Maiduguri were reported to have had a Sallah festival with zero insurgence incidence.
Yes, Buhari is secretly winning the war with the separatists, and silently but solemnly beating the bandits and their co-cynics.
There is an African proverb that says, silence is the best answer to the unwise. Methinks Buhari is using that adage in addressing the cynicism of his critics.
