The three OPC members

Richard Elesho

A senior Magistrate Court in Iyaganku, Ibadan on Wednesday ordered that three members of the Oodua People’s Congress, OPC be remanded in a correctional facility over allegations of arson and murder.

The three members, Awodele Adedigba (45); Dauda Kazeem (38) and Hassan Ramon (33) were docked before senior Magistrate Olaide Hazmat for crimes bordering on conspiracy, murder and arson.

The Tribune reports that prosecuting counsel, Inspector Opeyemi Olagunju had alleged before the court that the suspects had on March 7, 2021, at about 8 a.m at Kajola village in Ayete, caused the death of a 45-year-old woman.

He further alleged that the trio of Awodele, Dauda and Hassan allegedly set fire to the house of the Ibarapa “warlord” Abdullahi 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

It would be recalled that another senior Magistrate Court similarly ordered the remand of the Fulani warlord Wakili on Tuesday for offences bordering on murder and kidnapping.