The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland and founding member of the Oodua Peoples Congress, Gani Adams has condemned the arrest of members of the group by the Oyo state police command.
we reported earlier that members of the group were arrested by the police in connection to an alleged arson attack which led to the death of a woman while they were trying to arrest a suspected kidnap kingpin, Iskilu Wakilu. See here
Adams who told newsmen that he suspects the OPC members were arrested based on order from above, said stakeholders will not allow insecurity in Yorubaland to degenerate to the level of monumental tragedy ravaging the Northeast and Northwest.
He noted that major breakthroughs recorded by the police in Oyo State were through the cooperation of the local security outfits, including OPC and vigilante.
Adams said;
“It is unfortunate that the Nigerian police acted like that. What they did made us to regret our support for them when hoodlums hijacked the #EndSARS protests.
“Wakili has been acting like a terror. No police, no security agent could arrest him. He was involved in series of kidnappings in Igangan, Ayete, Igbo-Ora. He was the godfather of kidnapping.
“The police made two attempts to arrest him. They went with between 12 and 15 vehicles. The chairman of the local government harboured the policemen for two weeks. They could not arrest them.
“Wakili’s kinsmen were with guns, bows and arrows. When OPC stormed the place, his boys escaped, moving among cows, and they went to the Republic of Benin. Between 6pm and 7pm, Wakili was got. The Nigerian police do not want security and safety of our people.”
He also accused Wakili of pretending to be blind after he was arrested. Adams added;
“He came to Kara last week to buy drugs and food. He is acting drama. He was arrested in his house and put on a vehicle. Then, the police arrested OPC members. The police acted like that because of order from above.
“The kings and community leaders perceived Wakili as a spirit, who could turn to anything. The DPO and OPC had been strategising on how to arrest Wakilu. Sixty percent of the breakthroughs of the police were through the support of OPC and other local vigilante groups.
“Our problem is disunity. Yoruba native doctors strengthened Wakilu. All of us should cooperate together to make the Southwest safe.”
