x

Igangan: Court orders release of detained OPC members

The Chief Magistrate Court 2, Iyaganku, Ibadan, in the Oyo State capital, has ordered the release of three members of the Oodua Peoples Congress, three months after their detention by the Oyo State Police Command.

The OPC members – Awodele Adedigba, Dauda Kazeem and Hassan Ramon – had been detained mid-March 2021 after they arrested a suspected criminal reportedly from the Fulani ethnic stock, Iskilu Wakili.

Wakili had been accused of terrorising Igangan and other villages in the Ibarapa area of Oyo State.

The OPC had handed over Wakili to the Oyo State Police Command but the police subsequently detained three OPC members for allegedly burning down Wakili’s house and killing an unknown woman in the process.

However, the OPC and one of its leaders, Gani Adams, had said the murder and arson allegations were false, adding that it immediately handed over Wakili and three of his accomplices to the police in Igboora after their arrest.

The three detainees on Tuesday appeared before the magistrates’ court, presided over by A.O. Amzat, and were discharged and acquitted after the state’s Directorate of Public Prosecutions failed to prove to the court that the OPC men were guilty as charged.

Counsel for the defendants, Akwarandu Adetoun, told The PUNCH that the magistrate struck out the case and ordered the release of the detainees.

The OPC Coordinator in Oyo State, Rotimi Olumo, also confirmed the release of his men in a chat with The PUNCH on Tuesday.

Before Wakili’s arrest, farmers and residents of Igangan, Ayete, Kajola and neighbouring villages in Ibarapaland lived in perpetual fear of Wakili who was accused of displacing them from their farms, kidnapping their rich men and raping their women.

Igangan has been in the eye of the storm of late as marauding hoodlums carry out successive attacks on the rustic agrarian village, creating palpable panic and tension in residents of the area.

Earlier in June, no fewer than 17 persons were reportedly shot dead when hoodlums invaded the town on motorcycles around 11pm and started killing and destroying property, which continued until around 3am the next day.

Hot this week

Thousands decamp to APC at Kaduna mega rally

By Achadu Gabriel, KadunaKaduna State Sen, Uba Sani,...

Chinese Ambassador’s Cup: 2025 Wushu Championship Set to Hold in Abuja

The Chinese Ambassador’s Cup-Wushu Championship, also known as the...

Bingham University, commissions multipurpose laboratory, office complex

By Israel Adamu,JosBingham University, Karu,on Thursday achieved...

Russia-Ukraine War: The Unfolding Burden on Africa

By Abu Jemimah LamiWhen Russia invaded Ukraine on...

Taiwan elects new pro-Mainland China leader of KMT party

By Daybreak NigeriaNewly elected opposition Kuomintang (KMT)...

KOSIEC Releases Timetable for 2026 Kogi Local Government Elections

By Noah Ocheni, LokojaThe Kogi State Independent...

Terrorist Invade Southern Kaduna Community, Abduct 10 Residents in Kauru LGA

By Achadu Gabriel, KadunaTerrorists have again attacked Southern Kaduna,...

How Violence Starves Nigeria’s Food Basket

By Emmanuel Sam DavidBenue State, once renowned as the...

Russia-Ukraine War: The Unfolding Burden on Africa

By Abu Jemimah LamiWhen Russia invaded Ukraine on...

Kaduna Partners REA to Boost Renewable Energy Access, Drive Industrial Growth

By Achadu Gabriel, KadunaThe Kaduna State Government, under the...

Gov. Ododo Pledges Full Support for North-Central Nigeria Prays Rally in Kogi

By Noah Ocheni, LokojaKogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo,...

Related Articles

Popular Categories

spot_imgspot_img