48 Hours after Obj’s Peace Visit, Armed Thugs Invade Ishofin Village in Ogun
Wednesday, August 19, 2020, former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, paid a visit to Ishofin, a developing village located in Itori, Ewekoro area of Ogun State, on a peace mission.
Sources said before his visit, suspected land grabbers have been disturbing residents of the area as well as the neighboring villages for sometimes.
While at the village, Obasanjo sermonized on the need for the villagers and indeed all people in Nigeria to imbibe the spirit of love, tolerance, unity, progress and friendship, in their dealings with themselves and others.
Baale Oshofa of Guduga, Kehinde Oluwole, as well as other Baales within the three neighboring villages of Ishofin confirmed the visit of the former president on a peace mission to Ishofin village in a telephone chat with our correspondent.
It was further gathered that the former president spoke during a weekly service at The African Church, located within the village, when authorities of the Church asked him to speak on the state of the village, the state and the nation.
Like most communities across the federation, Ishofin, it was further gathered, has come under tumultuous times from the activities of suspected land grabbers, leaving most villagers at the mercy of these omoniles, as they are popularly called.
But, when the heat unleashed on the villagers by the suspects for close to three hours died down, some people at the village were critically injured while properties estimated at hundreds of thousands were allegedly destroyed.
Our correspondent gathered that the villagers immediately reported the matter at Itori police station in Ewekoro, where the police worked with the local security groups in the area to fish out eight of the suspected thugs.
It was gathered that the IGP monitoring team attached to the Ogun state police command, allegedly led by one Abulsalam Abdulfatai, working with police officers from Itori police station, stormed the village and succeeded in arresting the suspects.
The suspects are: Jamui Ejaola, Kekinde Sunday, Akeem Orunsola, Bashiru Wasiu, Rasaq Akinyele, Akeen Shodipo, Adewale Oyode and Saheed Olamilekan.
BDSunday also gathered that the police on August 24, 2020, dragged the suspects before Magistrate Court 1 in Itori, Ewekoro, Ogun state, where they were slammed with a three-count charge by the court.
According to the court, the suspects on August 21, 2020, between 1000hrs-1200hrs at Ishofin village in Itori, conspired among themselves to commit felony to with: threatening violence and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 81(2) of the criminal code Laws of Ogun state of Nigeria, 2006.
The court also accused the suspects of conducting themselves in a manner that was likely going to cause a breach of peace, which is contrary to and punishable under section 81(2) of the criminal code laws of Ogun state of Nigeria, 2006
Police prosecutor, Emoruwa Johnson also told the court that three of the suspects- Akeem Shodipo, Adewale Oyede and Saheed Olamilekan, on the same date, time and place threatened with violence one Sunday Adepoju Akinrinkan family with cutlasses, forcing the man to run away from his land in this village.
The accusation is contrary and punishable under section 86(2) code laws of Ogun state of Nigeria, 2006.
Police Public Relations Officer, Ogun State Police Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, while speaking with our correspondent on the matter, said that the former president should not be dragged into such an issue.
He however promised to get back to BDSunday after confirming from Otori police station, but did not pick his calls, nor replied to text messages when our correspondent made contacts with him as at the time of filing this report.
Source: www.businessday.ng