The Lagos State command of the Nigeria Police says it arrested 49 persons in Saturday’s Oodua Republic Mega rally at the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park, Ojota, Lagos.
Parading the suspects before journalists at the command headquarters, the Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, said a total of six arms, 18 7.62mm ammunition, 19 live cartridges and one expended cartridge were recovered from the suspects.
He recalled that the Lagos State government and the state’s police command had at a joint press briefing last Thursday warned that no rally would be allowed in the state.
Odumosu said that despite the warnings and security explanations, certain individuals came into the state with the intention to foment trouble under the guise of the said mega rally.
“The command arrested 49 suspects. They include Bamidele Akomolafe, 52; Dauda Abubakare, 25; Adebanjo Adedajo, 42; Lawal Akeem, 21; Abdulsemiu Akanbi, 43; Emmanuel Chidiemere, 27; Taofeek Abdulsalami, 25; Adesina Ibrahim, 33 and Adeyemi Segun, 22 and 39 others.
“Items recovered from them include one pump-action rifle, two locally made pistols, four live cartridges, one expended cartridge and stickers with the inscription ‘Oodua Armed Forces’.
“Also recovered were one Opel car with registration number FFF 921, one unregistered Toyota 4 Runner SUV, one Honda car with registration number SMK 248 FC, one Nissan Pathfinder SUV with registration number ABJ 348 DB, one Suzuki mini bus with registration number LSR980 YC, one beaded crown, one beaded walking stick, white box containing assorted charms, some Oodua flags and banners, clothes and caps with Oodua Nation inscriptions, some voodoo jackets, one traditional calabash containing weeds suspected to be Indian hemp, some mobile phones, clothes, and two axes.
The police commissioner said further that on the same day (Saturday) around 11.10pm , the Area Commander,’ H’, Ogudu whose jurisdiction covers part of Ojota area of the state, got information that some objects suspected to be arms were abandoned behind a car stand, near King David Executive Express, Ojota.
When he got there, he discovered one AK-47 rifle with eighteen 7.62mm live ammunition, two locally made pistols with 15 live cartridges.
Odumosu said these discoveries and recoveries have authenticated the intelligence report at the command’s disposal, which informed its decision to disallow the rally in the first place.
He said the suspects would be handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Yaba, for discreet investigation and possible prosecution.
However, when one of the suspects was interviewed, he denied participating in the rally.
He said, “I did not participate in the rally and no pistol was found in my car. I am an Ogboni king. We went for worship in Surulere on Friday night. The service lasted from 11pm to 5am on Saturday. I had to sleep because I was going to drive.
“By 10.30am on Saturday, we left Surulere for Ikorodu. I was to pick one of my drivers at 7-Up. As I descended at Ojota, some policemen stopped me. When I introduced myself, they said I should go. But they stopped me again and arrested me. There were six people inside my jeep.”
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