Seven Arraigned Over Shasha Crisis To Be Released — Police

Oyo State Commissioner of Police Ngozi Onadeko says the seven
persons arraigned in connection with the Shasha crisis are to be
released. Speaking to journalists on Monday, Onadeko said the seven
persons are to be released following the receipt of legal advice
from the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) that those arrested
had “no case to answer.”

She explained that the DPP’s advice was just received that the
accused persons had no case to answer, and should be released. This
is just as the police boss cleared the police of bias or
favouritism, saying the suspects were handed over to them by the
military. Onadeko disclosed that the suspects were with the
Nigerian Army, which arrested them for 11 or 12 days, before they
were handed over to the police.

She said the handover was followed with investigation and
subsequent arraignment in court on holden charge, with the seeking
of legal advice from the DPP. When asked to comment on people’s
anger on non-arraignment of the Hausa also, despite being accused
of burning down hundreds of buildings and shops, the police
commissioner reiterated 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,” she said.

Also, at the press briefing, Onadeko spoke on how the state
police command got news on the trouble that surfaced in Ayete
during an arrest by the members of Oodua People’s Congress on
Sunday. According to her, the Area Commander and Divisional Police
Officer in charge of Ayete called at about 9:00 a.m., to inform the
command that some people attacked a Fulani camp. Three persons,
including a Fulani, known as Wakili, were arrested and taken to
Igboora Division.

“On getting the information, I directed the Area Commander and
DPO to find out what happened, while they should 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 had been trying to arrest Wakili. From their narration,
they said that they got to the camp, and Wakili and others attacked
them,” Onadeko stated.

She added that in the process of the attack, the OPC members
arrested Wakili and two others. She said that the police however
learnt that as the OPC left the camp with the suspects, some set
the camp on fire, and a woman was shot in the stomach, with her
intestines gushing out, leading to her death. The state police boss
said that all the suspects were being interrogated, with their
statements taken.

She enjoined those with complaints about Wakili to approach the
State CID to register such, promising to investigate it to a
logical conclusion. She further disclosed that Wakili was initially
taken to hospital when he was brought to the State CID, as he was
seen gasping.

Oyo State Commissioner of Police Ngozi Onadeko says the seven
persons arraigned in connection with the Shasha crisis are to be
released. Speaking to journalists on Monday, Onadeko said the seven
persons are to be released following the receipt of legal advice
from the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) that those arrested
had “no case to answer.”

She explained that the DPP’s advice was just received that the
accused persons had no case to answer, and should be released. This
is just as the police boss cleared the police of bias or
favouritism, saying the suspects were handed over to them by the
military. Onadeko disclosed that the suspects were with the
Nigerian Army, which arrested them for 11 or 12 days, before they
were handed over to the police.

She said the handover was followed with investigation and
subsequent arraignment in court on holden charge, with the seeking
of legal advice from the DPP. When asked to comment on people’s
anger on non-arraignment of the Hausa also, despite being accused
of burning down hundreds of buildings and shops, the police
commissioner reiterated 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,” she said.

Also, at the press briefing, Onadeko spoke on how the state
police command got news on the trouble that surfaced in Ayete
during an arrest by the members of Oodua People’s Congress on
Sunday. According to her, the Area Commander and Divisional Police
Officer in charge of Ayete called at about 9:00 a.m., to inform the
command that some people attacked a Fulani camp. Three persons,
including a Fulani, known as Wakili, were arrested and taken to
Igboora Division.

“On getting the information, I directed the Area Commander and
DPO to find out what happened, while they should 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 had been trying to arrest Wakili. From their narration,
they said that they got to the camp, and Wakili and others attacked
them,” Onadeko stated.

She added that in the process of the attack, the OPC members
arrested Wakili and two others. She said that the police however
learnt that as the OPC left the camp with the suspects, some set
the camp on fire, and a woman was shot in the stomach, with her
intestines gushing out, leading to her death. The state police boss
said that all the suspects were being interrogated, with their
statements taken.

She enjoined those with complaints about Wakili to approach the
State CID to register such, promising to investigate it to a
logical conclusion. She further disclosed that Wakili was initially
taken to hospital when he was brought to the State CID, as he was
seen gasping.