TheCable

Sunday Adeyemo, Yoruba nation activist popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has been transferred to the Cotonou Civil Prison, TheCable has learnt.

The facility known to locals as Prison Civile de Cotonou is a heavily guarded place with tall walls, barbed wires, and firm steel frames for gates.

The north side of the prison is connected to the office of the special team of the country’s national police known as Police républicaine du Bénin.

When TheCable visited, our reporter learnt there were four gates every visitor is expected to go through before seeing any detainees.

After a 13-hour hearing on Monday, the court ruled that Igboho be sent to pre-trial detention pending the conclusion of an investigation by the state.

This forestalls the possibility of immediate extradition to Nigeria, where he is wanted for arms trafficking, inciting violence and a call for secession.

Igboho and his lawyers had denied all these allegations until the fresh charges bordering on illegal entry and criminal association was presented before the third judge in court on Monday.

The case between Igboho and the government of Benin Republic has lead to his transfer from Brigade économique et financière (BEF) to Prison Civile de Cotonou.

Igboho’s lawyers say they will request bail, and re-present their client in court any time he is needed. But sources familiar with the matter told TheCable that Igboho is unlikely to be released on bail considering the political interests involved in his case.

According to one of his lawyers, quoted by BBC, Igboho might be held here for three to four weeks pending the investigation.

The south end of the prison is bothered by a power plant and a long tarred road that forbids regular traffic

This unit of the country’s police was responsible for the clearing of the court on Monday night ahead of the judge’s verdict on Igboho’s hearing.

The entrance of the prison: TheCable was told that there are three other gates/doors behind this one before contact with any detainee

The street leading to the prison entrance is closed and barricaded with these metal excavation barriers.

Motorcycles and cars parked outside the prison for visitation