Five arrested, guns recovered as 300 OPC member clash with police

Five suspected members of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), were yesterday, arrested after about 300m of their members allegedly clashed with policemen, at the Egbeda/Idimu area of Lagos State.
The OPC members, attached to Dr. Frederick Fasehun’s faction, were said to have assaulted policemen who were on duty and even injured some, even wielding guns and other dangerous weapons, but the faction’s National Secretary. Mr. Dare Adesope insisted that there was no clash between his members and the police.
According to the police, guns, cutlasses, daggers and other dangerous weapons were recovered from them. Those arrested have been identified as Paul Adeola, Kemi Ajayi, Sunday Ogunbiyi, Kazeem Oloyede and Augustine Ekufeze.
Eye witness account claimed that the OPC members in several vans, at about 11am, apparently heading towards Agege area for a meeting, when they got to the Car Wash area of Egbeda/Idimu, there was apparently a traffic jam.
To quickly ease, the men were alleged to have taken over the traffic control, while allowing their vans to take-one, thus flouting traffic law.
When policemen had attempted to correct, there was an altercation.  The policemen and the men were said to have clashed, while a crowd had quickly gathered.
The policemen who were afraid of the number of OPC men on ground, had quickly radio the Divisional Police Officer, (DPO), in charge of Idimu Police Station, for re-enforcement.
The DPO had gathered another set of policemen and armed with their rifles had stormed the scene. He with his men dislodged some of the members and arrested five members.
Adesope said: “There was no clash between our men and police. It was all a misunderstanding. The Nigerian Constitutions permits us to a lawful and peaceful assembly. We were going for a meeting when our men were arrested, but we already speaking with the police. We’re law abiding citizens of Nigeria. As to the allegations that they attacked and injured policemen, it’s not true! And as to the allegation that recovered guns from them, I’m yet to be informed about that.”
A source said: “They are OPC led by Dr. Frederick Fasehun. They were going for a meeting at Ile-Pako, Amoo Playing ground, Agege, to the launching of UPN. The OPC led by Gani Adams are presently in Abule-Ado, residence of Otunba Gani Adams, holding NCC Executive meeting.”
Police spokesperson, Ngozi Braide, confirming the alleged assault on policemen, said: “It happened at about 11:30am. 300 people, masquerading as OPC members launched attack on our men at Car Wash bus stop area, inward Egbeda. The DPO led a team of policemen to the scene and dislodged them and arrested five. One double gun, one pump action rifle, one locally made pistol, two cutlasses, one dagger, OPC banners, two V/wagen buses with registration number X731GGE, XT29FKJ, one Nissan S/car DU721GGE and unregistered Toyota Camry S/car were recovered from them. Investigation is still on going to find out why they took laws into their hands.”