Men of the Nigeria Police Force from Zone 11 in Osogbo, the Osun State capital have arrested an Islamic Cleric, Alfa Majid Olore over alleged discovery of a kidnappers’ den allegedly operated by the cleric in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
DAILY POST gathered that Olore who is also a spiritualist was arrested along with his wife, children and over fifty-five students of his Arabic school located at Ita Baale area of Ibadan.
Our correspondent gathered that apart from Olore and his family members that were arrested, no fewer than twenty residents of Ita-Baale among whom are old men and women, youths and able-bodied women were also arrested.
The suspects according to a source, were arrested and later detained at the Agugu Police Station. The source whose relative was also arrested told DAILY POST that the cleric was arrested along with others on Saturday.
He, however, said that few of the innocent people arrested were later released after paying between fifteen to thirty- five thousand naira.
He said, “What I know so far about the matter is that one Alfa Majid Olore’s house at Itabale area of Ibadan was invaded by policemen allegedly from Osogbo Zonal Headquarter. The Alfa, his wife, infant children and up to 55 of his students were arrested alongside some other people in the neighbourhood. I don’t really know what the accusation was, but the Alfa was beaten mercilessly and handcuffed to the back.
“I went there in respect of an old man who was arrested along with other innocent people. What I saw at the station was that all the people I showed in the video came in respect of their people mostly among the students.
“Those who identified themselves as the real parents to some of those students were being immediately maltreated, held in hostage and accused of child abuse by putting their wards under the tutelage of the Alfa. Nobody including lawyers are allowed to talk to them as I went there with a lawyer to secure the release of the old man that was falsely arrested with them. It took the intervention of the Chief Imam of Ibadan to get the old man out of the place today. All other people; the head Alfa, his wife, the students and the identified parents were still there when I left at around 4pm.
“Father to my friend who is the Imam of that area was arrested wrongly. The Baba Imam and two other persons that we know were arrested along with them. He is the Imam of Kehinsi area of Ita- Basle. He and two others were arrested.
Public Relations Officer of the state Police Command, Mr. Olugbenga Fadeyi, while confirming the arrest, told DAILY POST on Thursday that the police was still investigating the matter to know if the allegation of the kidnap den allegedly operated by the cleric is true.
Fadeyi who told DAILY POST via a telephone conversation that the cleric was arrested by the men from Zone 11, added that the outcome of the investigation would determine the next line of action to be taken on the matter.
He said, “Men from the Zonal office in Osogbo, they are the ones that arrested the Alfa. They are the ones that arrested them and not the Oyo State Command.
“The Zone 11 took them to Agugu Police Station. We are aware that the Alfa is a spiritualist. So we can’t say now if the allegation of the kidnap den is true or not. It is not the Oyo State Police Command that arrested him. After the investigation, they will come out with their report.”
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