Court remands 3 OPC members for alleged arson, murder

An Iyaganku Chief Magistrates’ court sitting in Ibadan on Wednesday, ordered that three members of the Oodua Peoples Congress  (OPC) be remanded in a correctional centre for alleged arson.

The police charged Awodele Adedigba, 45;  Dauda Kazeem , 38, and Hassan Ramon, 33,  with three counts of conspiracy, murder and arson.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr Olaide Hamzat,who  did not take the plea of the suspects, for want in jurisdiction,  ordered that they be remanded in Abolongo Correctional facility, Oyo town.

Hamzat ordered the police to return the case file to the office of the Oyo State Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP).

He adjourned the matter  untill April 21, for mention.

Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Insp Opeyemi Olagunju told the court that the  suspects on March 7,  at about 8 a.m. at Kajola  village, Ayete,  allegedly  caused the death of a 45-year-old woman.

He said that Awodele, Dauda and Hassan allegedly set fire to the house of the Ibarapa “warlord” Abdullahi Wakili,  causing damage of N5 million.

The offence, he said,  contravened  the provisions of sections 316, 324, 443 and 516 of the Criminal Code of  Oyo State 2000.