July 17, (THEWILL) – The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has denied media reports claiming that Yoruba secessionist agitator, Sunday Igboho, is trying to get a new passport and flee Nigeria.
A report by a newspaper (not THEWILL) had cited a purported letter issued by the NIS as directing security agencies to stop Igboho from fleeing the country.
The report claimed that the government had placed Igboho on the stop-list in order to facilitate his arrest.
The directive, according to the report, was contained in a letter by the NIS, dated July 9, 2021 and addressed to the Director General, Department of State Services, the Inspector General of Police and the DG, National Intelligence Agency.
The letter, titled, “Stop-listing of person: Adeyemo Sunday Adeniyi (aka Sunday Igboho), male, Nigerian, passport number A11613637, date of birth 10/10/1972,” was allegedly signed on behalf of the Comptroller General of Immigration by Assistant Comptroller General of Immigration, Investigation and Compliance, A.B. Baba.
“I am directed to request that you kindly place the above-named person on stop-list. Credible intelligence revealed that Adeyemo is making efforts to obtain a police extract and/or court affidavit to enable him acquire a new Nigerian passport, apparently to facilitate his escape out of the country.
“In addition, he should be arrested wherever and whenever sighted and referred to the Director-General, Department of State Services vide letter no: S.605/A/246 dated 05 July 2021.”
The alleged letter directed that Igboho be arrested wherever and whenever sighted and referred to the DSS.
However, the NIS spokesman, Amos Okpu, said he was not aware of the letter and that he had no update on Igboho. He added that he had no update on the manhunt for Igboho.
“I’m not aware of the letter. Has Ighoho been declared wanted? Well, I don’t have any information on him,” he said.
THEWILL had reported that the DSS declared Sunday Igboho wanted on allegations of stockpiling arms to destabilise the country, after a midnight raid on his residence at Soka in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.
Following the raid, the DSS disclosed that it killed two of Igboho’s associates in a gun duel and arrested 13. The secret service also said it recovered illegal arms and thousands of ammunition from Igboho’s house.
Igboho has since denied the DSS allegation, but his whereabouts remain unknown.
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