28th August, 2013
Seven members of the Frederick Fasheun-led faction of the Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, were arrested by the police yesterday after a shootout that lasted for more than 30 minutes along the Egbeda-Idimu Road, Lagos, western Nigeria.
They were arrested by policemen from the Area ‘M’ Command, Idimu, Alimosho Local Government Area, with four pump action guns and one locally made cut-to-size pistol, 30 cutlasses and assorted charms.
Also recovered was a yellow LT bus without registration number and two other buses. The impounded buses are currently parked at the police division.
P.M.NEWS gathered that at least 100 OPC members attacked the policemen when they were accosted for driving against traffic. The OPC members, it was learnt, injured the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, attached to Idimu and some traffic police officers on the road. One of the injured was rushed to an undisclosed hospital.
Investigations revealed further that the OPC members who were in a convoy of three buses drove against traffic on their way to an undisclosed destination and were stopped by traffic policemen at Car Wash Bus Stop, Egbeda but they refused to stop and started firing into the air to scare the traffic officers. The policemen stood their ground and insisted that the OPC members must obey traffic rules.
This, it was learnt, infuriated the OPC members who alighted from their vehicles and attacked the traffic officers. Fracas ensued and the policemen called for a reinforcement from the Area ‘M’ Command.
The OPC members were subdued and seven of them were arrested while others escaped.
According to the Assistant Commissioner of Police in-charge of Area ‘M’ Command, M.B. Shinkafi, four pump action rifles, one locally made cut-to-size pistol, 30 cutlasses and charms were recovered from the OPC members.
He added that the suspects and the exhibits recovered had been transferred to the state Police Command, Ikeja.
P.M.NEWS investigations revealed that Dr. Fasheun was seen at the Area ‘M’ Division pleading with the DPO to release those arrested.
He reportedly explained to the DPO that the OPC members who caused the confusion in the area were not from the division but were on their way for an engagement.
In a telephone conversation with P.M.NEWS, Lagos Police Command Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ngozi Braide, confirmed the arrest of the OPC members, adding that guns and ammunition were recovered from them.
She said the police have commenced investigation into the disturbance.
—Cyriacus Izuekwe, Ayodeji Dedeigbo & Sulaimon Mojeed-Sanni