Court Sends Three OPC members who arrested Iskilu Wakili To Prison, Gives Reason
- The police have charged three members of the OPC for alleged murder and arson
- The suspects were said to have committed the offence when they apprehended a suspected kidnapper, Abdullahi Wakili
- The trial of the accused persons have been put on hold until the issue of jurisdiction is resolved
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Three members of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) who reportedly took part in the arrest of a suspected kidnapper, Abdullahi Wakili (Iskilu Wakili), have been remanded in prison.
Source: Twitter
The remand order was issued by an Iyaganku chief magistrates’ court against the OPC members who are facing charges of conspiracy, murder, and arson.
According to The Nation, due to issues of jurisdiction, the chief magistrate, Olaide Hamzat, did not take the plea of the suspects.
He ordered the police to return the case file to the office of the Oyo State Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice.
Earlier, the police told the court that the suspects had on March 7, allegedly caused the death of a 45-year-old woman.
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According to the prosecutor, Opeyemi Olagunju, the accused, Awodele, Dauda and Hassan allegedly set fire on the house of the Ibarapa “warlord” Abdullahi Wakili, valued at N5 million.
He said the offence contravened the provisions of sections 316, 324, 443 and 516 of the Criminal Code of Oyo State 2000.
In reaction, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, said it was surprising that the OPC members who risked their lives to arrest Wakili were facing serious charges, The Punch reported.
Adams alleged that Wakili who has been accused of killing about 25 persons was charged with offences which he said were bailable.
Meanwhile, Oyo state police command has disclosed that it has commenced a discreet investigation of alleged bandits’ leader, Iskilu Wakili, who is accused of masterminding kidnappings and killings in Ibarapa north local government area of the state.
The spokesperson for the command, Gbenga Fadeyi, however, explained that water-tight evidence would be needed to prosecute Wakili for his alleged crimes, Vanguard reported.
The police spokesperson called on people to show up to give evidence against the suspect. Fadeyi dismissed claims that people who tender evidence against Wakili might be arrested.
Meanwhile, Rotimi Akeredolu, the Ondo state governor, has been mandated to speak on behalf of his counterparts in the southwest on security issues in the region.
The Punch reported that this was disclosed by the chairman of Nigerian Governors' Forum (NGF) and governor of Ekiti state, Kayode Fayemi, on Tuesday, March 16.
that Fayemi also said other governors in the region including Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state, Seyi Makinde of Oyo state, Gboyega Oyetola of Osun state, and Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos state are not cowards if they choose not to speak on national security.
Kess Ewubare is a senior political/current affairs correspondent at Legit.ng. He has both a BSc and a Master’s degree in mass communication. He has over 10 years experience working in several fields of mass communication including radio, TV, newspaper, and online. For Kess, journalism is more than a career, it is a beautiful way of life. He can be reached via email at kess2099@gmail.com.
Source: Legit.ng
