Diplomatic row brewing between Nigeria is bigger in dimension than the pedestrian permutations being bandid by those with nothing or lesser knowledge of the existing constitutional diplomacy on different platforms within and beyond the sub region and the international community.
Nigeria and the Republic of Benin have both come a long way as members of ECOWAS, AU and neighbours.
At different times, both countries have come to the rescue of one and the other on cross country banditry, commerce and in military assistance.
Cotonou has remained the easiest transit corridor to Togo and Ghana on land.
Again, the loose nature of Benin’s borders have been contributory to the suffocation of the Nigerian market with sub standard goods, contraband and fake drugs the effects of which decreased productivity of our local industries resulting to mass unemployment, health implications and a declining GDP.
We would recall the devastation that the closure of our borders with Cotonou cost her, to which her president had to engage friendly colleagues to prevail on our president to relax his order.
However, that Chief Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho had to choose Benin Republic shoulder to elope is a bitter bite for such country. While the Africa Charter to which Nigeria is a signatory protect Sunday Igboho as it does not abhor agitation for self determination, Nigeria would take advantage of the crime of arms stock pilling over which he has been declared wanted as a weapon to seek his repatriation.
Benin Republic is not known to pull global international diplomatic friendship than Nigeria to strengthen it enough to damn the consequences of lurking horns with the self acclaimed African giant over an individual in Igboho’s classification who is not adequately protected by the 1984 diplomatic pacts between it and Nigeria.
Benin Republic could on the excuse of pressure from the international community release him on pretenses of non criminality of self agitation as spelt out by the charges between her and Nigeria as emboldened by the AU charter trusting the AU in pacifying Nigeria than toying with economic sanctions from the Western world.
In conclusion, Sunday Igboho who has not been found guilty of any charge has become a fragile diplomatic object that should be handled with care.
-Gbenga Osobu.