SOJI AJIBOLA, IBADAN
The Oyo Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Iyaganku, Ibadan on Wednesday remanded the three members of Oodua Peoples Congress apprehended suspected Fulani kingpin terrorizing Ibarapa communities, Iskilu Wakili in prison custody.
The OPC members were remanded for allegedly burning down the house of Wakili valued at N5 million. The development came barely 24 hours after Wakili and two other suspects were also remanded in prison for their involvement in reported killings and kidnappings in Ayete and other communities in Ibarapa North local government area of the state.
The suspects; Awodele Adedigba (45); Dauda Kazeem (38) and Hassan Ramon (33) were arraigned before the court on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy, murder and arson.
The prosecuting counsel, Inspector Opeyemi Olagunju had alleged before the court that the suspects had on March 7, 2021, at about 8:00 am at Kajola village in Ayete, caused the death of a 45-year-old woman.
He said that the trio of Awodele, Dauda and Hassan allegedly set fire to the house of the Ibarapa “warlord” Wakili, valued at N5 million, an offence which he said contravenes the provisions of Sections 316, 324, 443 and 516 of the Criminal Code of Oyo State 2000.
However, the pleas of the suspects were not taken due to issues surrounding the inherent jurisdiction of the court to hear matters of that nature. So, the court ordered that the trio be remanded at the Abolongo Custodial Centre of the Nigerian Correctional Service in Oyo
Magistrate Hamzat further ordered the police to send the case file to the office of the Oyo State Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice and adjourned the matter till April 21, 2021, for mention.