Police charges three OPC members that arrested Wakili on three count charges

Three members of the Oodua Peoples Congress who arrested suspected Fulani warlord Wakili Abdullahi Wakili have been charged by the police in Ibadan.

Iyaganku Chief Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday ordered that three members of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) be remanded in a correctional centre for alleged arson.

The police charged Awodele Adedigba, 45; Dauda Kazeem , 38; and Hassan Ramon, 33, with three counts of conspiracy, murder and arson.

Magistrate Olaide Hamzat, who did not take the plea of the suspects because he had lacked powers to hear the matter, ordered the suspects be remanded in Abolongo Correctional Centre, Oyo town.

Mr. Hamzat ordered the police to return the case file to the office of the Oyo State Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP). He adjourned the matter until April 21 for mention.

Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Opeyemi Olagunju, a police inspector, told the court that the suspects on March 7, at about 8:00 a.m. in Kajola, Ayete, allegedly caused the death of a 45-year-old woman.

He said that Awodele, Dauda and Hassan allegedly set fire to the house of the Ibarapa “warlord” Abdullahi Wakili, causing damage of N5 million. The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of sections 316, 324, 443 and 516 of the Criminal Code of Oyo State 2000.

Mr. Wakili’s arrest sparked nationwide uproar after the police held OPC members who tracked him down and handed him over to the police. The police initially denied arresting the OPC members, saying they were only asked to stay behind and file statements after turning Mr. Wakili in.

But after complaints mounted that the OPC members had been kept in custody for days and well after they had filed their statements, the police then brought up charges of murder and destruction of assets against them.

(NAN)