An Iyaganku Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Ibadan has remanded alleged notorious Fulani herder Abdullahi Wakili in a correctional facility.

The police charged Wakili, 70, alongside his sons, Abu, 45; and Samaila, 27 as well as Aliyu Manu, 20 before Chief Magistrate Emmanuel Idowu, on a six-count charge bordering on conspiracy, murder, kidnapping and armed robbery.

The herder was arrested last week by 40 members of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) on the grounds he is the leader of the notorious gang carrying out criminal activities in Ibarapa area of Oyo State.
He was handed over to the police after his arrest.
The court could not take the plea of the defendants for lack of jurisdiction to hear the matter.

Magistrate Idowu ordered that the suspects be remanded at the Abolongo Custodial Centre of the Nigeria Correctional Service in Oyo town.

The court further ordered the police to send the case file to the Oyo State Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice and adjourned the matter till May 17, 2021 for mention.

While presenting the suspects to the court, prosecution counsel, ASP Adewale Amos, alleged that Wakili, Abu, Samaila and Manu conspired to commit the offence for which they were being charged.

According to Amos, Wakili and others had on October 20, 2015, caused the death of Cpl. Akinwale Akande, 32, while he was performing his lawful duty.

He alleged further that on August 15, 2020 at about 4pm in Idi Emi in Oyo State, Wakili and others kidnapped a woman while armed with cutlasses and robbed her of N100, 000.

The offences, he said, contravene provisions of Sections 316 and 324 of the Criminal Code of Oyo State 2000 and are punishable under Section 319 of the same law.

He further stated that the said offences also contravene Sections 3 and 6 of the Kidnapping (Prohibition) Law 2016 and punishable under Section 4 (2) of the law as well as Section 6b of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act .Cap RII, Vol.14, Laws of Federation of Nigeria 2004 and Section (2) (a) (b) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions).

The four defendants were represented by a legal counsel identified as Oritsuwa Uwawa.