There was controversy in Oyo State on Sunday after police operatives allegedly detained three members of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) for arresting Iskilu Wakili, a notorious kidnapper that has been terrorizing the state.
Wakili and three of his gang members, who have been involved in various kidnappings and killings in Ibarapa and Oke Ogun axis of the state in the past, were arrested by the OPC after several attempts and handed over to the Police.
However, the congress raised an alarm that when they went to hand over Wakili to the Police, 3 of its operatives were detained and taken to the state CID in Ibadan.
The OPC Coordinator, Adedeji Oluwole, said; “We took Wakili and the three others from Igangan to Igboora and handed them over to the DPO at Igboora. The name of the DPO is Ajayi Mark.
“As I am talking to you, they have taken them to Iyaganku at the State CID in Ibadan with three of my boys,”
“The police asked them to take Wakili to the hospital which we refused because we are not in a position to do that.
“We told the police that they have been complaining all these days that they wanted to arrest Wakili and now we have brought Wakili to their doorstep, they should take over.
“Nobody touched Wakili, nobody hurt him, there are no traces of any hurt on him.
“He is an old man and we had promised the whole world that we won’t hurt them but we would arrest them for the whole world to see who is Wakili because all these while, he has been a faceless person, nobody knows him.
“We didn’t beat him or harm him. When we nabbed him, we put him inside a vehicle and handed him over to the police.
“The DPO then said he got a signal from the CP (Commissioner of Police) in Iyaganku. They have taken three of my men to Iyaganku now.”
The Oyo State Police Command has however explained why the three members of the Odua People Congress (OPC) were being detained.
It said the three members were detained for alleged murder and arson, adding that one person died in the process of arresting Wakili and his house was also set ablaze.
In a statement titled, ‘Oyo police assures of diligent prosecution of suspected criminals’, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Fadeyi Olugbenga, said, “The State Commissioner of Police has quickly moved into action and preliminary findings revealed that some OPC members went to Kajola community in Ibarapa North Local government Area of Oyo State.
“While there, the house of the Wakili in question was set ablaze, while a female (the identity of who is yet to be ascertained) was burnt in the fire and Wakili (about 75 years old and blind) with two other persons were picked up.
“The three of them are presently in the custody of the Police. The Commissioner of Police has directed that Wakili (due to his frail appearance and state of health), be moved to the Hospital, while others are being interrogated. Others being interrogated are the OPC members, involved in arson and murder.
“Meanwhile, the Oyo State Police Command wishes to inform the general public that any person or group of persons from any region or tribe that has been found culpable to have committed any criminal act (s) in the State would not be spared, but would be arrested and dealt with according to extant laws.
“Therefore, it is worthy of note that the good people of Oyo State and the general public should rest assured that the officers and men in the Command would not derelict in its duty to bring to book criminal elements arrested for any infringement on the laws of the land, as adequate security measures have been emplaced against anything untoward while soliciting credible information from members of the public to enable the Police and other Security Agencies clampdown on crime and criminality in the State.”
