Wakili: Three OPC members that arrested Fulani warlord sent to prison

An Iyagangu Chief Magistrate Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, has ordered that three members of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) who arrested Isikilu Wakili in the Ibarapa North Local Government Area of the state should be remanded in Abolongo Correctional centre for alleged murder and arson.

The three OPC members were arrested by the police after they had apprehended Iskilu Wakili, a suspected Fulani warlord in the Ibarapa area of the state said to be complicit in the killings, kidnappings and rape incidents in the area.

The Chief Magistrate, Olaide Hamzat, on Wednesday ordered that the OPC members should be remanded at the correctional centre.

The three OPC members identified as Awodele Adedigba, 45; Dauda Kazeem, 38; and Hassan Ramon, 33; were involved in the recent arrest of suspected Ibarapa kidnap kingpin, Wakili.

However, the police levelled three counts of conspiracy, murder and arson against the suspects.

The prosecution counsel, Inspector Opeyemi Olagunju, told the court that the suspects on March 7, at around 8 am at Kajola village, Ayete, allegedly caused the death of a 45-year-old woman.

He said Awodele, Dauda and Hassan also burnt the house of Wakili, causing a 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.

The Chief Magistrate, Hamzat, who did not take the plea of the suspects, for want of jurisdiction, ordered that they be remanded in Abolongo correctional facility, Oyo town.

Hamzat ordered the police to return the case file to the office of the Oyo State Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

He adjourned the matter till April 21 for mention.

The OPC members were arrested by the police after they arrested Wakili, alleged to be the mastermind of a series of attacks, killings and kidnappings in Ibarapa area of the state.

The police claimed the OPC members burnt a house and killed a woman inside.