Authorities of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice on Friday said that it has not received any matter relating to the trial of a Yoruba Nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho in Benin Republic.
Speaking with journalists at the end of its one-week sensitisation mission to Kwara State, the deputy president of the Court, Justice Dupe Atoki, alongside other members of the team, said that the Court of the 15-member West African countries only concerns itself with civil matters brought before it.
Benin Republic had charged the activist to court for illegal migration to the country with his wife, dubious connivance with immigration officials and an attempt to cause civil unrest in the country, while the Federal government had also charged him for trafficking and possession of unlicenced arms and ammunition in Nigeria.
The Yoruba Nation activist was also accused by the Federal government of seeking to break away a certain part of the country from the rest of the state as well as inciting people to violence in his call for the freedom of his kith and kin.
“Obviously, there’s been no complaints about the supposed Sunday Igboho before the Court and for all intents and purposes, the court has no idea of who Sunday Igboho is and what’s happening to him.
“Sunday Igboho, for us in this side of the divide here, we don’t know what it is. We have no clue of who or what’s happening to Sunday Igboho.
“Majorityof leadershipof the ECOWASCommunityCourtof Justice are not Nigerians. I’m like the onlyNigerian andforjudicial purpose, I have no knowledge of whoSundayIgbohoisorwhatis his challenge.
“The court is only concerned with matters that have been brought before it and if matters had not been brought before it, we would just be a meddlesome interloper trying to fish out issues in public domain and we’re not tele guided by mere newspaper presentations. We don’t read newspaper for purpose of determining whether we should intervene or not”.
