The Oodua People’s Congress has asked the police to release unconditionally its men arrested in connection with the capturing of a notorious Fulani warlord, Iskilu Wakili.
The Oyo State Coordinator of the OPC, Mr Rotimi Olumo, who said this in an interview with our correspondent in Ibadan on Monday, said failure to release the OPC members could cause crisis.
Olumo said it was saddening that despite that the OPC came in to help the police to do their job, they turned around to arrest some of the volunteers who carried out the operation that led to Wakili’s arrest.
The OPC coordinator debunked the claims by the police that its members set the house of Wakili ablaze and that somebody was killed in the fire.
Olumo said his men did not torch Wakili’s building but blamed it on some members of the suspect’s gang who he said returned to the place and set it on fire to implicate the OPC men.
Olumo said everybody had expected the police to commend the team that arrested Wakili but said they had shown that they were not interested in arresting Wakili and those troubling Ibarapa people.
He said, “The suspects have caused much pain to the people of Ibarapaland. Remember that Dr Fatai Aborode was killed there and many others. The police didn’t do anything about it. The police are now asking who our men took order from before going to capture Wakili.
“Who did Wakili take order from before terrorising Ibarapa people? Did the police give him the order to terrorise the innocent people? They said police should have followed them but we know that many policemen are work with criminals.
“If we told the police, they would have leaked the secret to Wakili and the operation would have been futile. That is the problem we are facing in Yorubaland.
“But if they do not release our men they arrested, there will be crisis. If they had done their job; if the soldiers and the police had been sent to arrest Wakili, our men would not have had any cause to go and be chasing Wakili about.â€
Makinde invites CP over Wakili’s arrest, OPC members’ detention
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State on Monday invited the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mrs Ngozi Onadeko, on the security situation in Kajola, Ibarapa North Local Government Area of the state.
The CP’s invitation came on the heels of the arrest of Wakili and the uproar that trailed the arrest of the OPC members that arrested him.
Makinde, who expressed reservations on the security situation in Ibarapa area of the state, said his administration would ensure that there was no miscarriage of justice.
He said, “Law breakers, irrespective of ethnic or religion background, would be dealt with in accordance to the law of the land.â€
Victims ready to testify against Wakili – Residents
Residents of Ibarapa have started assembling victims of alleged criminality of the Fulani warlord, Iskilu Wakili, who will testify against him as policemen from the State Criminal Investigation Department visit the area to investigate the allegations against him.
Our correspondent gathered that some of the leaders in the area have started mobilising relatives of those allegedly killed by the suspect, as well as those raped, robbed and maimed by his gang members, to testify against him.
A popular farmer based in Igangan, Taiwo Adeagbo, aka Akowe Agbe told our correspondent on Monday that some of the victims of the alleged atrocities of Wakili were ready to testify against him.
He said, “We have assembled victims who will give evidence against Wakili because if there is no evidence against him, he will be freed and his return will be worse. We have people who were raped, those who were robbed and those whose farms were destroyed.
“There is an old woman who was dragged into the bush and raped, she will tell the police what happened and who did it.â€
