Seven Yoruba People Arraigned Over Shasha Crisis To Be Released — Police

 Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Ngozi Onadeko, has said that the seven persons arraigned in connection with the Shasha Market crisis in the state will be released.

Onadeko told journalists on Monday that the seven persons would be released following the receipt of legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) that those arrested had “no case to answer.”

According to The Nigeria Lawyer, Onadeko explained that the DPP’s advice that had just been received stated that the accused persons had no case to answer, and should be released.

She also cleared the police of bias or favouritism, saying the suspects were handed over to them by the military.

According to her, the suspects were with the Nigerian Army, which held them for about 12 days before handing them over to the police.

She said the handover was followed with investigation and subsequent arraignment in court.

When asked to comment on why no Hausa person was also arrested and arraigned since the crisis was about a clash between Yoruba and Hausa communities, the police commissioner said ethnic or religious colourations 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 around 9:00 am, to inform the command that some people had attacked a Fulani camp.

Three persons, including a Fulani, known as Iskilu Wakili, were arrested and taken to Igbo-Ora 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 people set the camp on fire, and a woman was shot in the stomach, with her intestines exposed.

She reportedly died.

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 for breath.