Kunle Adelabu
-I was exonerated, released next day – Oluwo Adeleke
The General Commandant of the Ikorodu Division Peace Initiative Limited (IDPIL), security team, Local Joint Task Force (LJTF), Akogun Lanre Olabinjo, has stated that Oluwo Adeleke, former Commandant of the Divisional security outfit in Ikorodu West Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Ikorodu Division, who was alleged to be a supplier of guns and cartridges to cult boys at Ogolonto, was no longer with the local security formation as at the time of his arrest.
Akogun Olabinjo, made the clarification without any contempt against the former Commandant, also condemned a story by an online platform with the title, ‘Ikorodu Cult War: Peace Initiative Commander Arrest For Supply of Guns And Cartridges’, as unprofessional. He added that Oluwo Adeleke, whom he said did not have any criminal record while serving in the IDPIL – LJTF, voluntarily requested that he should be released on health ground due to his health challenges.
He threatened that the Divisional security architecture will not hesitate to institute a legal action against anybody that misrepresent it or share false information about it.
Oluwo Adeleke, the former Commandant of the IDPIL – LJTF in Ikorodu West LCDA, was arrested last week Wednesday following the allegation by one Jide Omoyele, a.k.a. ‘Awana’, a suspected notorious cultist terrorizing Ogolonto axis of Ikorodu.
THE IMPACT gathered that the suspect was arrested while allegedly on a mission to kill someone at Ogolonto. According to the report gathered, a special police team from Ikeja, that has been trailing him, used their bus to pushed him and his motorcycle rider into a drainage after which they were arrested. Gun, Daggers and other dangerous weapons were said to have been recovered from him.
According the former Commandant who confirmed to THE IMPACT that he excused himself from the security body on health ground, the police exonerated and released him the next day after he was arrested and proper investigations were conducted.
Akogun Olabinjo, General Commandant, IDPIL – LJTF, spoke with our reporter in his office in Ikorodu on Wednesday.
“We have replaced Oluwo Adeleke as our Commandant in Ikorodu, because of his health challenges. He has sight issues. He willingly relinquished the position and not that we removed him for any offense of indiscipline”, Akogun Olabinjo told our reporter.
“Since his exit, we have put in place a caretaker Commandant in Ikorodu West LCDA. With this, Oluwo Adeleke is no longer with IDPIL, and it is important to stress that he relinquished the position willingly.
“So, it is wrong for people posting the story and relating it with the IDPIL and Onyabo. No doubt, he was once a Commandant of the IDPIL in Ikorodu West LCDA, but now, he is no longer with us and we don’t have to label or wish him bad since he did nothing wrong while he was with us or portray the IDPIL in a bad light.
“He was a disciplined and was not found wanting within the period that he worked with us. He has never been a wanted person or engage in any thing that can bring disrepute to our name”, the IDPIL – LJTF Commandant said.
While stating that it was wrong to link the IDPIL with Adeleke’s case without proper investigation, the Commandant threatened a legal action against further reportage in such manner.
“The police should continue with its investigation on this, though, at the moment, he has been released and in his house, while others are in the police custody”, he said.
“This is a defamation of character, and we (IDPIL) will sue anyone that publishes or shares such a story. This is what we want the public to know.
“Aside that, the matter that he was arrested for, is like identity problem because I called the officer handling the case and he told me that he has been exonerated and released because he is not connected with the matter”, Akogun Olabinjo said.
Oluwo Adeleke, the former IDPIL – LJTF Commandant in Ikorodu West LCDA, who described himself as a security operative and an herbalist, said that the gun allegation as reported by the online medium, was not part of the accusations, but only supply of cartridges.
He narrated his relationship with his accuser, one Jide Omoyele, and how he has allegedly been terrorizing residents of Ogolonto, excesses that Oluwo Adeleke said that he has been curbing, and explained that that is the reason Jide framed him.
“It was a case of cartridges and not gun. Well, he said that I am the one supplying him with cartridges, but I don’t produce such to the extent that I will be able to supply him. I don’t even have cartridges myself”, Oluwo Adeleke said.
“When SARS came to arrest me, my boys wanted to resist, but I prevailed on them not to interfere or prevent police from doing their work, and I was eventually taken away and was told that somebody alleged that I am the one supplying him with cartridges.
“The suspect also told the lie to my face when they brought us together in a face – to –face encounter. The police later brought me back to my house for search and nothing was discovered. They also investigated about me in my area, and l was subsequently released last week Thursday”, he said.
Oluwo Adeleke further denied the allegations said that his accuser was his former brother in – law, and alleged that Jide was responsible for many atrocities and terror inflicted on residents of Ogolonto, which he and his men have been curbing.
“The story that I gave cartridges to cultists is false and the guy involved, Jide Omoyele, is a very known person to me. Though, l married his sister, Abbey, but along the line, there was dispute and we went our separate ways”, he said.
“This same Jide was responsible for the dismissal of his father from the Police Force, and I accommodated the man and engaged him in my security outfit over five years ago, and he is still among my operatives.
“He is used to committing atrocities in Ogolonto, and I have been responsible for curbing his excesses. Whenever I am called that he has been molesting residents, I usually send my boys or I go there myself to checkmate him.
“He usually molests property and land buyers and force them to pay all sorts of payment to him despite the fact that he is not a land owner. He is fond of demanding as much as N1million over land bought by other people in the area.
“There was a particular incident that he demanded for N10million from one of my Oluwos who wanted to build a house on a land that he bought for N60milion, before he started foundation. After my intervention, I directed the person to give Jide and his boys N400, 000, to prevent them from disturbing and stealing of building terials in his site.
“This happened about a month ago. Jide had to go back there after collecting N400, 000, to disturb the steel welder working on the site and demanded for N60, 000 from him. Unfortunately for him, it was one of my boys that was working as a welder. I had to go to the site myself to dislodge him.
“Whenever anybody wanted to setup a container on lands leased out to them for business in the area, this guy in question would demand for N30, 000.
“Warehouse in our area also not immune from his terror, as well as those that are unfortunate to have their vehicles broke down in the area”.
The former IDPIL – LJTF Commandant also alleged that Jide threatened to kill him about three weeks ago, because he sees him as a stumbling block for his operations in Ogolonto.
“So, his complaint against me is because I have been preventing him from carrying out his nefarious acts in Ogolonto area. He still threatened to kill me about three weeks”, he alleged.
“He is fond of making outrageous monetary demands from the commercial motorcycle operators.
“His modus operandi now is to mention people’s names whenever he is caught. He did it to his brother that facilitated his entry into the national union, so also the Chairman of the Okada riders”, he said.
Oluwo Adeleke said that he will not be pursuing any legal case against the suspect.
“I will not be pursuing any defamation suit against him, because God has exonerated me and he is still in custody to answer for his deeds”, he said.
THE IMPACT also gathered that the police team from Ikeja, has been carrying out constant raids in Ogolonto, in search of the suspect’s allies and other criminal elements terrorizing the community.
