Former President Olusegun Obasanjo was in Benin Republic in the first week of August, 2021, to lobby for soft landing for Yoruba nation separatist leader, Sunday Igboho.
According to TheCable report, top sources in the diplomatic circle confirmed the former president travelled to Zanzibar, an island in Tanzania, on August 1 and rerouted to the Francophone country.
Obasanjo was said to have travelled to Benin Republic in the guise of condoling with Nicephore Soglo who recently lost his wife – Roseline Soglo on July 25 at the age of 87 in Cotonou.
Soglo was president of Benin Republic from 1991 to 1996 and have maintained warm relationship with Obasanjo over the years.
“Former President Obasanjo travelled to Zanzibar on August 1. Perhaps to conceal his trip; he rerouted to Benin Republic,” one of the sources told the publication.
“He was to condole with former President Soglo who recently lost his wife.”
Another source who was also privy to Obasanjo’s trip said, “He also met with Patrice Talon. The purpose of the meeting was to seek soft-landing for Sunday Igboho.
“He’s asking the Beninise authorities to grant the separatist leader asylum, and not to return him to Nigeria.
“The former president intervened on the request of some south-west leaders.”
Igboho was arrested by Beninise security forces while attempting to flee to Germany after the department of State Services (DSS) raided his residence in Oyo on July 1, killing two people and arresting 12 of his supporters.
He has been in detention in Cotonou since his arrest.
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