Kunle Adelabu
The Deputy Leader of the Onyabo Vigilance Command in Ikorodu and the Akogun of Batoroland, Akogun Olanrewaju Olabinjo, has alleged that police and residents’ attitudes are promoting cultism and other criminal acts in Ikorodu Division.
He also described the forthcoming security summit being proposed by the Ikorodu Division Youth Initiative Movement (IDYIM) in conjunction with the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), as too elitist for failing to carry along major stakeholders.
Akogun Olabinjo spoke with THE IMPACT at his Ireshe road office in Ikorodu recently
While reacting to the resurgence of cult clashes which have claimed several lives and paralyzed social and economic lives of the division, Akogun Olabinjo stated that Onyabo Command is disappointed by the conduct of men of the Zone 2 annex at Ladegboye.
“In the first place, we decided not to get involved anymore because we are disappointed by the conducts of some policemen who are involved in security matter in lkorodu”, he alleged.
“Some of the policemen attached to Zone 2 annex at Ladegboye are always with these guys. Secondly, last May, when these cult guys (cultists) went on rampage in Ikorodu stealing, looting and unleashing terror on the town, we arrested more than 100 suspects with guns.
“Surprisingly, in less than 2 months, we started seeing many of these guys back in town walking freely. Most of these cases against these cult guys were as a result of our findings and we are ready to pursue them because we have evidences”.
Labinjo also stated that Ikorodu residents are also complicit in the criminals’ free reign in the community as they are not always ready to prosecute suspected criminals that attack or rob them of their valuables.
He stated that victims of cultists and other criminals always prefer to recover their valuables than helping security agents in proper prosecution.
The traditional ruler of Ikorodu Kingdom, His Roya Majesty, Oba Kabir Shotobi, had, few weeks back, also accused residents of stalling prosecution of suspected cultists due to their refusal to prosecute murder suspects.
“It is true that some of our people don’t want to pursue their cases and this do affect our operations. I cannot imagine the attitudes of our people. Whenever they are robbed and we apprehend the suspects and transfer them to the police, rather than assisting police in investigating and prosecuting the criminals, our people are always interested in getting back their valuables like phones and others than the matter”, Akogun Olabinjo stated disappointedly.
“This has been preventing the police from effectively prosecuting many matters and this has consequently been responsible for the unabated cult clashes across Ikorodu division.
“Another factor encouraging cultism is the release of the corpse of slain suspected cultists. There is always reprisal attack whenever corpse(s) are released to the family of the murdered cultist. What we normally do years back when such matter come up is to take the remains to the mortuary while we continue with investigation. We have brought the attention of the new DPO to this.
“We know most of these guys. They are not spirit. They are our brothers and sons. We know them very well and also their hideouts.
“Many at times, these cases were transferred without our knowledge and to locate where they were taken to is always problematic and before we realise, they are back on the streets”, he alleged.
The Onyabo leader charged men of the Nigerian police force to always make themselves available, adding that his men are ready to provide necessary assistance to help in getting rid of criminal elements in the society.
“I always challenge our policemen to always be on ground and make themselves available. Once they are available, we are ready to assist”.
He stated that the intervention of the leaders and the assurance by the Commissioner of Police and new DPO in Ikorodu made the vigilance group reconsidered its decision not to partake in tackling the menace of cultism and criminalities in the division again.
“But we later changed our position when leaders in the town called that we cannot hands off providing necessary security in the division. The new Commissioner of Police also called to ask us the way forward”, he said.
“Moving forward, we have been assigned a team from the Commissioner of Police office. The team has been asked to work directly with us.
“Most of these guys always run to Ogun State after perpetrating their nefarious acts in Ikorodu. But now, we are on ground. We now have a new Divisional Police Officer, CSP A.R. Balogun. We have met him and he has assured us of his supports and cooperation”.
The Onyabo Deputy Commander also revealed that two notorious cultists and armed robbers that terrorized Ikorodu and ran away for several years were captured during their recent patrol.
“We were able to apprehend two of the notorious cult members and robbers (Kalou and Ade Alaska) during one of our patrols after meeting with the new DPO. These are guys that had ran away for a very long time ago. They are notorious cultists and armed robbers who disturbed the peace of Ikorodu before fleeing the town”, he revealed.
“They have been transferred to SARS and the new DPO A.M. Balogun has been duly informed and we even use our vehicles to move them there. They were transferred with another five suspects arrested at Ojurowo days before Kalou and Ade Alaska were arrested.
“Now, we have every day patrol with policemen and we assure residents of Ikorodu that they will soon have peace”.
Speaking on the proposed security summit being championed by the Ikorodu Division Youth Initiative Movement (IDYIM) in conjunction with the Nigeria Bar association (NBA), Ikorodu branch, Akogun Olabinjo described it as being too elitists that may not achieve its intended purposes as major stakeholders are not being carried along.
“I am sorry to say this, in Ikorodu, we are too elitist in handling matters concerning people that are in the ghettos and slums. They only involve the elites whenever they are doing any programme that involves and affects these people. You don’t expect people living in ghettos to attend your programme at Town hall and in most cases, these people are not always invited to such program.
“If we are doing anything, we normally take it to them at Ojurowo, Itun-Nla, Itundegu and other areas. We usually take it to their door steps and we always encourage them to come out and hear what we are going to say.
“In this their summit, they are going to invite learned youths and not those selling indian hemps and others. These are people that are very well known to us. These people need reorientation programmes to change from their dirty jobs.
“The programme that they are planning to do is meant for the elites”, he opined.
