In what seems like a reprisal of their alleged leader, men of arrested Iskilu Wakili have allegedly killed four people in Idiyan village, Igangan, Oyo state.
The victims were said to have been hacked to death at about 2:00 am on Monday in their homes in the village.
Two of the killed men were said to be members of the community police in the area.
The Aare Onakankafo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams raised the alarm of the killings of the residents.
This is as he also called the police to release his members who were arrested for showing gallantry in apprehending Wakili, urging the security operative to concentrate on getting rid of bandits and kidnappers holding sway in the Igangan forests.
Adams in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Aderemi said four men were killed in the most gruesome manner, adding that the audio and pictorial evidence at his disposal indicated that the killers have been terrorising the village and its environs, engaging in untold kidnapping and killing.
He alleged that the kidnappers have collected over N800 million as ransom from their captives in the axis.
He said “Wakili men have displaced more than a million residents in the over 10 villages in Oke Ogun. They have raped and killed residents at will.
“The late Alhaja Sherifat and the late Dr Fatai Aborode and several others were killed and they are still on a rampage till today. They have been terrorising our people for more than six years.
“Wakili was a comedian, pretending to avoid being investigated. He was hale and hearty but started pretending shortly after he was captured.
“It is sad that Kidnapping and killing still continue unabated without any clue as to the time it will end.
“Today, four men were hacked to death at Idiyan village, and it is sad and most unfortunate that the police have not been able to unravel the killers till the present time.”
Adams expressed worry that the security situation in the Southwest is becoming too worrisome, maintaining that the situation could have been so worse if not for the efforts of the OPC.
The Yoruba generalissimo, however, warned criminal herders to stay away from the region, disclosing that OPC and other local security operatives will continue to ensure that the region is safe for residents.
Adams, while reacting to the arrest of four members of the OPC that nabbed the notorious Kidnapper said it is purely an admittance of failure for the police to arrest our gallant men that had assisted them in nabbing the notorious kidnapper, Wakili and three of his men.
“With the detaining of the OPC members, it shows that the police are ready to frustrate the efforts of the people. The police that are supposed to commend the joint security team for complementing their efforts went ahead to detain them unjustly, alleging arson and killing of an unknown person and up till now the police have failed to unravel the killers of the four men.
“People are beginning to lose confidence in the ability of the police. It will be disastrous for the police to lose the respect of the people,” he added.
Adams, however, urged the police to release the members and concentrate on getting rid of the Igangan forests of bandits and kidnappers.
Efforts to get a reaction from the Police Spokesperson of the Oyo Command, Olugbenga Fadeyi proved abortive as calls made to his phones were unsuccessful as at the time of filing the report.
By Yinka Adeniran