As DPP advises ‘no case to answer’
Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Ngozi Onadeko, has said that the state command has no bias against the seven persons arraigned in court over Sasa Market crisis in Ibadan, saying that the suspects were handed over to them by the military.
Onadeko also disclosed that the command just a copy of the legal advice from Director of Public Prosecution in the state, which said the accused persons has no case to answer, and are to be released.
It will be recalled that the seven persons were arraigned in a magistrate’s court, Iyaganku, Ibadan, on Holden charge on Thursday, March 4, for the murder one Adeola Shakirudeen on February 12, leading to mayhem which got escalated.
The accused persons were Tajudeen Oladunni (50), Saburi Lawal (37), Ojo Joshua (25), Adekunle Olanrewaju (38), Olagunju James (24), Razaq Yahya (32), and Olaide Olawuyi (20) with a six-count charge involving conspiracy, arson and murder.
The accused persons were also said to have caused the death of 31 others, burnt down houses, caused damage worth N50 million and destroyed property worth N20 million.
At a press briefing on Monday, March 8, 2011, the Commissioner of Police said that the suspects were with the Nigerian Army for about 12 days before they were transferred to the police.
The state police boss stated further that the command embarked on investigation and subsequent arraignment in court on holden charge, after the handover, adding that the legal advice from the DPP was sought through a copy of the case file sent to them.
When asked to comment on people’s anger on non-arraignment of the Hausas also, despite being accused of burning down hundreds of buildings and shops, the police commissioner said that ethnic or religious coloration should not be given to crime.
“It’s out of question when seven suspects were handed over to us. The question is: was there any crime committed?
“It is not an issue of whether they are Yoruba or Igbo. Let us stop giving crime ethnic or religious coloration,” Onadeko said.
She also went into how the state police command learnt of an alleged attack on, and an arrest of a Fulani man, simply known as Wakili, by members of Oodua People’s Congress on Sunday, on the accusation that he was involved in the spate of kidnappings occurring at Ibarapa zone of the state.
The police commissioner disclosed that at about 9am on Sunday, the Area Commander and Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ayete called to inform the command that some people attacked a Fulani camp.
Three persons, including Wakili, were arrested and taken to Igboora Division.
According to Onadeko, “on getting the information, I directed the Area Commander and DPO to find out what happened, and told them to bring the three people arrested to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Iyaganku, in Ibadan.
“When they got to the State CID, the management team interrogated them. It was there we found out that three people that came with three others were OPC members.
“They have been trying to arrest Wakili. From their narration, they said that they got to the camp, and Wakili and others attacked them.
“In the process of the attack, they arrested Wakili and two others. The issue is, as the OPC left the camp with the suspects, they set the camp on fire, and a woman was shot in her stomach.
“Her intestines gushed out and she died. All of them are being interrogated. At the time I interrogated them, at about 6pm, their statements had to be taken, and other formalities done.”
She said that this was the best time for anyone with complaints against Wakili to approach the State CID to register such, promising to investigate it to a logical conclusion.
“Whoever is culpable, no matter who you are or how highly placed you think you are, we will hold you for the crime you have committed,” she stated.
Saying that the general public should partner with the police to make sure the state is safe, she disclosed that Wakili was in custody at the State CID.
She said that Wakili was initially taken to hospital when he was brought to Ibadan, as he could be seen gasping.
