Court Remands Three OPC Members Over Murder, Burning Of Wakili’s Residence

An Iyaganku Chief Magistrates’ court sitting in Ibadan on Wednesday, ordered that three members of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) be remanded in a correctional centre for alleged arson.

The trio, namely Awodele Adedigba, 45; Dauda Kazeem , 38, and Hassan Ramon, 33, were charged by the Police on three counts of conspiracy, murder and arson.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr Olaide Hamzat, who did not take the plea of the suspects, for want in 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 Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice.

He adjourned the matter till April 21, for mention.

Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Insp Opeyemi Olagunju told the court that the suspects on March 7, at about 8 a.m. at Kajola village, Ayete, allegedly caused the death of a 45-year-old woman.

He said that Awodele, Dauda and Hassan allegedly set fire on the house of the Ibarapa “warlord” Abdullahi Wakili, valued at N5 million.

The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of sections 316, 324, 443 and 516 of the Criminal Code of Oyo State 2000.

Recall that another Iyaganku Chief Magistrate Court had on Tuesday ordered the remand Wakili in a correctional facility.

The police had charged Wakili, 70, alongside his sons, Abu, 45; and Samaila, 27; as well as Aliyu Manu, 20; before Chief Magistrate Emmanuel Idowu, on a six-count charge bordering on conspiracy, murder, kidnapping and armed robbery.