Former President Olusegun Obasanjo was recently in Benin Republic to seek soft-landing for Sunday Igboho, it was learnt.
According to a report on Saturday by TheCable, Obasanjo was in the Francophone country in the first week of August, 2021.
Top sources in the diplomatic circle told the online newspaper that Obasanjo travelled to Zanzibar, an island in Tanzania, on August 1 and from there rerouted to the Benin Republic.
He was said to have travelled in the guise of condoling with Nicephore Soglo who recently lost his wife – Roseline Soglo.
Soglo, who was the president of the Benin Republic from 1991 to 1996, lost his wife on July 25 at the age of 87 in Cotonou.
It was learnt that Soglo is one of the African leaders who intervened at the time the Sani Abacha regime arrested and jailed Obasanjo in 1995. The former Nigerian leader is said to have maintained a warm relationship with him since then.
Sources told the online porter that “Obasanjo travelled to Zanzibar on August 1. Perhaps to conceal his trip; he rerouted to the Benin Republic.
“He was to condole with former President Soglo who recently lost his wife.”
Another source told the paper that Obasanjo 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,” the source added.
Igboho is facing prosecution in Benin Republic after he was arrested security forces while attempting to flee to Germany.