The Oodua Peoples Congress has warned the Federal Government against fuelling national crisis through its approach against agitators for self-determination.

The OPC made this known in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Barrister Yinka Oguntimehin, weeks after the raid on the residence of Yoruba rights activist, Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho, by the Department of State Security Services.

WuzupNigeria had reported that the embattled activist who is under detention is expected to be tried by the Beninese court for immigration-related charges Monday, July 26, following his arrest last Monday while trying to board a plane to Germany at the Cardinal Bernardin International Airport, Cotonou.

His arrest in the neighbouring country came weeks after the Department of State Services raided his Ibadan residence, killing two of his associates before he was declared wanted.

However, The PUNCH reports that Oguntimehin warned against having Igboho brought back to Nigeria the way the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, was brought back from Kenya.

OPC’s in its statement flayed the federal government’s approach in Igboho’s ordeals, insisting that the use and application of force on self-determination agitators have only justified its lack of respect for human rights and intolerance to the views of others.

The group described the treatment meted out to Igboho in Nigeria and also in Cotonou as very unpleasant, insisting that Federal Government ought to know that the citizens have rights and that such rights must be protected under the law.

Oguntimehin said, “Unfolding events have shown that there are lapses in the way the FG handles cases of self-determination agitators like Sunday Igboho, and I will like to state it clearly that the FG must desist from clamping down on self-determination agitators because such move can only fuel national crisis.

“The FG has been silent on the extradition order because it might trigger more crisis. You cannot treat Igboho the Nnamdi Kanu way, it would not work, so I am appealing to the FG to learn from history and ensure that the fundamental human rights of the citizens are protected in such a way that we can begin to appreciate the fact that we truly follow the tenets of democracy.”

The statement said Nigeria and the Republic of Benin have no extradition agreement, adding that Nigeria has not been able to come up with charges that could lead the court to order Igboho’s extradition to Nigeria.