Ighoho’s Lawyer, Yomi Alliyu [SAN] Denies Getting Financial Support For Litigation

Yomi Alliyu (SAN), the legal counsel to Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Ighoho on Saturday denied claims by some groups and individuals that they are the sponsors of the case filed before the Oyo State High Court to contest the fundamental rights of the activist.

Alliyu stated that his group did not get any amount of money from any individual or group to support the cause, adding that, “it has come to our notice that various groups and individuals that have nothing to do with the case filed by Chief Sunday Adeyemo a.k.a Igboho Oosa have been laying claims to sponsoring the suits and/or criticising decisions of the court thereon.”

“We want to be quick to say that as of today, no group and/or individual has contributed a kobo to the two cases going on in Nigeria to wit, his aides’ case in Abuja and the Ibadan matter. Various peanuts offered by some very loud groups have been turned down by me on my client’s instructions,” Alliyu stated.

According to him, Igboho has been carrying his cross alone with no assistance from home or abroad! People should be brave to challenge any individual and/or group asking them for money on bail on his behalf or those of his aides.

He stated that bail is free in all courts in Nigeria and as such neither Igboho nor his aides needed assistance on bail, reiterating that “our client is willing and able to prosecute his matters to logical conclusions without peanuts being offered by those claiming to be involved in his struggle.”

“We also wish to educate those criticising the bail conditions ordered by the Federal High Court, Abuja. The criticisms are unfounded and only came out of ignorance of the law on bail. The judge has a discretion which had been exercised by him judicial and judiciously in our matter,” he stated.

The legal counsel emphasised that the sagacity and bravery of the judiciary should be commended in this season of anomy where security outfits, especially DSS, are lords unto themselves with no respect for the rule of law or institution for same.

“We should not forget so soon the invasion of judges homes in what they tagged “sting operations” to embarrass not the judges concerned but to cow the institution into total submission and oblivion. This is why every democrat and believers in the rule of law should give loud ovations to Igweatu J. of the Federal High Court, Abuja and Diran Akintola J. of Oyo State High Court. Today is definitely history, tomorrow,” Alliyu stated.

Speaking further on the bail issue, he stated that bail is for an individual and can never be granted jointly and “if two people stands for eight defendants what happens if one absconds? Will the judge now lift the bail hitherto granted to the rest seven?

“The group criticising the bail terms have very eminent lawyers in their midst and have direct access to the undersigned thereby putting serious doubt as to whether the criticism emanated from them or from the usual fifth columnists in the security outfits bent on putting wedges on the joint efforts of the populace searching for justice.”

“If we have problem in perfecting the terms of the bail we can always go back to court for variation or at worst appeal. Definitely we cannot do any of these on the pages of newspapers and neither shall we encourage anybody to do that for our clients. We are not oblivious of the facts that our client’s matter cuts across diverse interests in Nigeria

especially Yorubas but his legal teams comprise of almost all ethnic groups in Nigeria since justice has neither colour nor smell! It is in this wise that we implore all to kindly ask for clarificationa from us before passing comments in the media,” Alliyu said.

He concluded that all the parties concerned have not shown any act inimical to the course of justice in the two matters before the court adding that he has to put on record efforts by “OODUA NATION GROUP” to stand as sureties for their members and all others granted bail by the Federal High Court, Abuja.