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    Sunday Igboho blasts Malami: ‘I’m a car dealer not a terrorist’

    Yoruba nation activist, Sunday Igboho has punctured the claim by Abubakar Malami, the attorney general of the Federation, that he is being sponsored by an unnamed National Assembly member.

    Chief Yomi Alliyu, Igboho’s lawyer issued a rebuttal of the claim in a statement released in Ibadan, the second of the day, on behalf Igboho.

    Igboho challenged Malami to mention the lawmaker sponsoring Igboho and also questioned the attempt to link Igboho with a Bureau de change operator, Abdullahi Umar, linked with Boko Haram financing.

    “The picture the AGF wanted to paint is that our client is being financed by Abdullah Umar, allegedly involved in terrorist financing. Who is now financing who?”, said Alliyu, a senior advocate of Nigeria.

    “Again, Chief Adeyemo is a car dealer trading in the name of Adesun International Concept Ltd.

    “Does it mean that anybody buying a car from him or selling a car to him is a terrorist?

    “I challenge the Hon AGF to mention the lawmaker that sent money to Chief Sunday Adeyemo for terrorist act whether he would not be damnified in exemplary damages for defamation”, Alliyu said.

    In a press statement in Abuja today, Malami claimed that a report by a Federal Government inter-ministerial committee has identified an unnamed Federal lawmaker as the sponsor of Sunday Igboho’s agitation for a Yoruba nation.

    Malami said the report, full of many holes, unravelled how Igboho got monies from 43 bank accounts, across nine banks.

    At first blush, the report appears to cover Igboho’s financial records long before he got involved with Yoruba nation agitation.

    Igboho did not get involved with agitation until early 2021.

    His involvement with Igangan crisis with Fulani settlers was the immediate catalyst.

    “The Federal Government has received the report on financiers of Adeniyi Sunday Adeyemo a.k.a Sunday Igboho”, Malami said.

    “The report revealed that Sunday Igboho is a Director and signatory to Adesun International Concept Limited registered on 23rd April, 2010.”

    “Adesun International Concept Limited also has Oladele Oyetunji and Aderopo Adeyemo as Directors. Sunday Igboho is linked to 43 bank accounts in 9 banks.

    “The major financier of the fugitive and separatists was found to be a Federal Lawmaker in the National Assembly. A total sum of ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVEN MILLION, ONE AND FORTY-FIVE THOUSAND NAIRA ONLY (N127, 145,000.00) was received by Igboho from his financiers between 22nd October, 2013 and 28th September, 2020 through Adesun International Concept Ltd accounts.

    “A total sum of TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-THREE MILLION, ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-EIGHT THOUSAND, TWO HUNDRED NAIRA ONLY (N273,198,200.00) transaction outflows was recorded from Sunday Igboho’s account between 15th March, 2013 and 11 the March, 2021.

    “Investigation reveals that Adesun International Concept Ltd (belonging to Igboho) transferred the sum of twelve million seven hundred and fifty thousand naira (N12, 750,000) to Abbal Bako & Sons.

    “It might be recalled that Abbal Bako & Sons and its promoter Abdullahi Umar Usman are suspects in the on-going Joint Terrorist Financing Investigation.

    “Abdullahi Umar 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.

    The report found connections of financial transaction between Adesun International Concept Ltd (belonging to Igboho) and some construction companies and businesses among others.”

    Apart from Igboho’s lawyer, Alliyu, the Pan Yoruba Group, Afenifere has also dismissed Malami’s report.

    The group in a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Chief Sola Ebiseni, said the latest claims made by Malami indicated that the Federal Government is hell-bent on destroying Adeyemo.

    “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 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.”