Olajengbesi’s resignation of no effect, he was never part of legal team—Igboho’s lawyer

 

Yomi Alliyu, counsel to Sunday Adeyemo, Yoruba youth leader better known as Sunday Igboho, said the resignation of Pelumi Olajengbesi from the legal team of Igboho is of no effect since he was never a part of the activist’s legal team.

 

Igboho is being detained in Cotonou, Benin Republic, after he was the arrested with Ropo, his wife at Cardinal Bernardin International Airport, Cotonou, while on their way to Germany on July 16, 2021.

 

In a Facebook post on Sunday, Olajengbesi said he had resigned from Igboho’s legal team, stating that he would not want to be associated with agitators of Yoruba nation. He also said he will no longer represent Ilana Omo Oodua, a group known for Yoruba nation agitation.

 

Reacting to Olajengbesi’s resignation in a statement, Alliyu called on the public to ignore any statement from the lawyer on Igboho as he was never his counsel.

 

Alliyu said: “He (Olajengbesi) is at no time counsel to Chief Adeyemo but rather Ilana Oodua that paid him for services he rendered to them.

 

“I seize this opportunity to plead with members of the public to disregard whatever Olajengbesi or Mr. Koiki stated to have purportedly emanated from Adeyemo. They lack the vires to so do.

 

“He (Olajengbesi) has no right to say anything on behalf of Adeyemo since he is not his counsel. I, Chief Yomi Alliyu, SAN, is the only person authorised in writing by my client, Chief Adeyemo to act for him or make statements on his behalf.”

 

On Olajengbesi’s claim that he secured freedom for 12 Igboho’s aides that were arrested when the activist’s Ibadan home was raided by men from the Department of State Services, Alliyu said he instructed Olajengbesi to execute the brief.

 

“I instructed Olajengbesi to secure the release of the 12 people arrested in Adeyemo’s house. I never involved him in Adeyemo’s matter. Thus, he has a limited brief,” he said.