Five suspected members of the Oodua People’s Congress were on Tuesday arrested after about 300 of them clashed with policemen at the Egbeda/Idimu area of Lagos State.
The OPC members, attached to Dr. Frederick Fasehun’s faction, were said to have assaulted policemen who were on duty and even injured some.
They wielded guns and other dangerous weapons.
But the faction’s National Secretary. Dare Adesope, insisted that there was no clash between his members and the police.
According to the police, guns, cutlasses, daggers and other dangerous weapons were recovered from them.
Those arrested have been identified as Paul Adeola, Kemi Ajayi, Sunday Ogunbiyi, Kazeem Oloyede and Augustine Ekufeze.
Eyewitness account claimed that the OPC members, in several vans, at about 11am, apparently heading towards Agege area for a meeting, got to the Car Wash Bus Stop area of Egbeda/Idimu to encounter a traffic jam.
The OPC members were reported to have flouted the traffic law by using the oncoming lane, popularly referred to as oneway driving.
When policemen attempted to correct them, there was an altercation.
The policemen and the OPC men were said to have clashed, while a crowd quickly gathered.
The policemen, who were afraid of the number of OPC men on ground, sent a radio message to the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Idimu Police Station, for re-enforcement.
The DPO gathered another set of policemen and armed with their rifles, stormed the scene.
The DPO, with his men, dislodged some of the OPC members and arrested five of them.
Adesope said: “There was no clash between our men and police.
“It was all a misunderstanding.
“The Nigerian Constitutions permits us to a lawful and peaceful assembly.
“We were going for a meeting when our men were arrested, but we are already speaking with the police.
“We’re law abiding citizens of Nigeria.
“As to the allegations that they attacked and injured policemen, it’s not true.
“And as to the allegation that they recovered guns from them, I’m yet to be informed about that.”
A source said: “They are OPC led by Dr. Frederick Fasehun.
“They were going for a meeting at Ile-Pako, Amoo Playing ground, Agege, to the launching of the Unity Party of Nigeria.
“The OPC led by Gani Adams are presently in Abule-Ado, residence of Otunba Gani Adams, holding NCC Executive meeting.”
Police spokesperson, Ngozi Braide, confirming the alleged assault on policemen, said: “It happened at about 11:30am.
Three hundred people, masquerading as OPC members, launched attack on our men at Car Wash Bus Stop area, inward Egbeda.
“The DPO led a team of policemen to the scene and dislodged them and arrested five.
“One double gun, one pump action rifle, one locally made pistol, two cutlasses, one dagger, OPC banners, two Volkswagen buses with registration number X731GGE, XT29FKJ, one Nissan Saloon car DU721GGE and unregistered Toyota Camry Saloon car were recovered from them.
“Investigation is still ongoing to find out why they took laws into their hands.”
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