Posted by By Eugene Agha on
Suspected members of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) went on rampage yesterday at Oshodi area of Lagos at the end of which three persons were feared dead while about 16 hoodlums were arrested over their alleged involvement in the clash that almost led to the burning of Makinde Police Station in Oshodi by suspected members of the group.
Suspected members of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) went on rampage yesterday at Oshodi area of Lagos at the end of which three persons were feared dead while about 16 hoodlums were arrested over their alleged involvement in the clash that almost led to the burning of Makinde Police Station in Oshodi by suspected members of the group.
Several arms and ammunition, including an unspecified number of AK 47 rifles belonging to the police were allegedly recovered from some fleeing members of the gang.
The police will also today commence exhuming of bodies of people believed to have been murdered by members of OPC in various parts of Lagos. The police would be led to the grave by some members of the group who were recently arrested when police raided Century Hotel on Ago Palace way, Okota. Dr. Frederick Fasheun is the owner of the hotel.
Yesterday's clash came barely 24 hours after a similar incident occurred in Onitsha, Anambra State between suspected members of the outlawed Movement for t he Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB). The house of the first President of Nigeria, late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe was set ablaze by the militant group while two persons lost their lives in the incident.
Though, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Olubode Ojajuni said nobody died in the fresh clash, but report has it that the three persons died in a cross fire between Anti Riot policemen drafted to protect the station from being sacked and some street urchins.
Trouble, it was gathered, started as a result of an armed robbery operation which occurred within the area. One of the victims who reported the situation at Makinde police station alleged that his computer set, GSM hand set and a total of about N21,000.00 were allegedly snatched away from him by members of a five- man gang of robbers who have been terrorising residents of the area and passers by alike.
Sequel to the report, a police source said a team of police were sent to the scene of crime and at the end three persons, whose names were given as Kayode Adeboye, Kunle Odubona and Tunde Babalayo were arrested and taken to the station for interrogation.
Though, the police source could not ascertain if the three suspects were actual members of OPC in the area, but added that some group of people stormed the area armed with guns, cutlasses, clubs and daggers with a view to set the suspects free.
"The action of the group later led to a free for all fight between some members of the gang and some police officers who had gone out on patrol duty. A detachment of anti riot policemen from Mopol 20 were drafted to the trouble spot when it became obvious that the hoodlums were going to set the station on fire.
Confirming the report, Ojajuni, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) gave the name of the man who was earlier attacked as Olusegun Adelakun. According to him, the victim was onboard a taxi cab with registration No. XH 413 FST at the time he was attacked.
He gave the names of others who were later arrested as Sampson Taiwo, Sholayo Kabiru, Thankgod Okon, Lekan Bello, and Jamiu Ayinde, all of no fixed address.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in charge of the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), Panti Street, Yaba, Mr. Olayinka Balogun will today take some suspected members of OPC to the grave sights of victims.
An atopsy report will be conducted on bodies of the deceased after they have been exhumed. Locations of the grave sights could not be ascertained as at presstime, but sourves alleged that some of the victms whose bodies were taken away were burried along the Ikotun Igondo Road.
It would be recalled that police officers from the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), Panti Street, Yaba raided Dr. Frederick Fasheun's Century Hotel on Ago Palace way, Okota last week. Over 20 suspected member of OPC were arrested while the police authority in the State alleged that several arms and ammunition were recovered during the raid.
The two factional leaders of the group, Dr. Frederick Fasheun and Chief Ganiyu Adams, were recently arrested by the police in Lagos and immediately flown to Abuja to answer question concerning the spate of killings in the state by suspected members of the group.
Both leaders have since then been remanded in prison custody.
It would be recalled that suspected members of MASSOB were recently engaged in a gun battle with the police in Anambra State when some members of MASSOB staged a rally to protest the continuos detention of their leader, Chief Ralph Uwazurike.