Yewa North Patriotic Forum (YNPF) has condemned the re-arrest of Pastor Kunle Garb and Mr. Benjamin Amosu, his interpreter, by Benin Republic Police.
The duo who were earlier released had been re-arrested by the Beninese police after court judgement.
Garb, a resident of Igbokofi village in Yewa North local government area, Ogun State, was abducted at the village market, last week by gendarmes (Beninese Police).
The activist, who has been consistently campaigning against the incessant harassment of Nigerians by the Beninese in attempts to forcefully annex the Nigerian territory, was taken away in a gestapo manner by the armed security agents from Nigeria.
Reacting to their re-arrest, the president of YNPF, Comrade Omobolaji Sanni, said, in a statement in Abeokuta, the state capital, that their re-arrest by the Beninese government came as shocking to the group and the people of Yewa.
Sanni, who condemned the re-arrest of Garb and Amosu said that it was high time the federal and the state government took necessary actions on the encroachment of Benin Republic on Nigerian land.
He said that it was unfair for Beninese government to re-arrest and detain him after spending seven days in detention of the neighbouring country.
According to him, the pastor was still battling psychological torture of the initial illegal arrest, before he was let off on Wednesday evening, this latest development comes with a ruder astonishment.
The statement partly reads “Benin Republic Government has encroached on Nigeria land over 40 miles inwardly at Igbokofi, Yewa North local government area, Ogun state and Pastor Kunle Garb has been in defence of the Nigerian territory against Benin Republic government.”
“This audaciously aggressive decision of the Benin Republic government had met a counter action from the YNPF, leading to a lawful protest action, stating clearly the demand for the reversal of the land encroachment by Benin Republic government. This action is now part of the charges levelled against Pastor Garb in Benin Republic Court.”
“The Benin Republic government, rather than addressing the issue, has made a war declaration on the innocent man of God and his interpreter leading to an unlawful arrest.”
“We make a clarion call on all Labour Unions, Civil Societies, human rights organisations, traditional rulers and well-meaning Nigerians to join in the fight against this arrant injustice,” it added.
