…As Police
parade monarch, brother
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on
Thursday approved the suspension of the Baale of Shangisha in Magodo, Chief
Yusuf Ogundare for faking his kidnap.
The fake
kidnap allegedly took place on July 5, along the Centre for Management
Development (CMD) Road in Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of
the State.
In a memo
with reference number OLGAS.83/S./Vol.1 dated July 13, 2017 addressed to the
Sole Administrator of Ikosi-Isheri LCDA and signed by the State’s Commissioner
for Local Government and Community Affairs, Hon Teslim Folami, Governor Ambode
directed Ogundare to stop parading himself henceforth as the Baale of the
community till further notice.
According to
the memo, Folami said: “I am directed to convey the approval of His Excellency,
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of the suspension of Chief Yusuf Ogundare, Baale of
Shangisha with immediate effect in accordance with Section 38 subsection 1 of
the Obas and Chiefs Laws of Lagos State which states that “the Governor may
suspend or depose any Oba or chief whether appointed or after commencement of
this law, if he is satisfied that such suspension of disposition is required
according to customary law or is necessary in the interest of peace and good
government.
“You are to
communicate the decision to the chieftain to stop parading himself as Baale of
Shangisha with immediate effect,” Folami said.
Ogundare’s
suspension was approved by the Governor moments after the Lagos State Police
Command paraded him alongside his younger brother, Mohammed Adams for
conspiring to fake the alleged kidnap.
Adams, on
the fateful day, reported the alleged kidnap incidence to the police.
Speaking
while parading the two suspects, the State’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai
Owoseni said the Command on July 5 received the report of Ogundare’s alleged
kidnap, and immediately swung into action in collaboration with other security
agencies especially the Department of State Service (DSS).
Owoseni said
luck however ran out on Ogundare when he was apprehended by men of the Rapid
Response Squad (RRS) in Alausa area of the State on July 11 after he was
dropped in a suspicious manner by a car which sped off immediately.
Giving
details of how Ogundare was apprehended, Owoseni said: “On July 11 at
about10pm, a team of RRS patrol officers working around Alausa had sighted a
vehicle drop a male adult in a suspicious manner close by Shoprite along the
Secretariat road. The speed with which that car drove off attracted them to
that spot and fortunately before they got to the spot, the car had taken off
and a quick enquiry revealed that it was the Baale that was allegedly
kidnapped.
“Immediately
after while Ogundare was being debriefed, he sold a dummy that the kidnappers
dropped him off but unknowingly to him, it had been found out that on the 5th
of July, the day he was allegedly kidnapped in Lagos, investigation had
revealed that he was driving around in Ibadan around Ashi; he went to Ilorin,
he went to Iwo, he was just on a frolic.
“And
unknowingly to him as well that because of information that had gotten to
security services that his younger brother and his wife were being questioned
and were actually in custody because of some discrepancies that were noticed in
the interaction they had with security agencies, and in furtherance of the
synergy existing between the Police and DSS, we jointly compared notes and our
findings were such that the act of the chief was despicable and amounted to
crying wolf where there is none,” Owoseni said.
He said
while making reports, Adams had told security agencies that he was with the
Baale at CMD Hotel when some people who claimed they wanted to buy land whisked
them away and later dropped him, but investigation revealed that he (Adams) was
not at any time in the hotel with the Baale but was only at the restaurant of
the hotel, and after some minutes, he left, and the wife of the Baale actually
drove the Venza car allegedly used to abduct the supposed victim into the
hotel.
The CP added
that after the suspects were confronted with the indisputable facts, they had
no choice than to confess faking the kidnap.
The CP said
immediately after Ogundare was allegedly kidnapped, Adams went to the community
and called the town crier to order the whole community to close shops and
markets should not open, an action aimed at inciting members of the community
against the State Government.
He said the
objective of the suspects was to falsely accuse the Oba of Shangisha as the
brain behind the kidnapping, which they indeed did, as a vengeance to him being
installed the Oba instead of Ogundare, and also embarrassed the State
Government and as well as security agencies for arresting him (Ogundare) when
he falsely displayed the plate number of Oba of Shangisha on his car.
Also
speaking, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem
also demanded the unconditional release of the six children kidnapped from
Igbonla Model College since May 25.
He said it
was disheartening that while the State Government and security agencies were
working round the clock to secure the release of the children, some
unscrupulous persons deemed it fit to raise false alarm.
He said it
was situations as this that prompted the Governor to sign the Anti-Kidnapping
bill into law, assuring that the Government would not hesitate to prosecute
anyone who runs fowl of the law.
He said
Section 5 of the anti-kidnapping Law prescribes that “a person who overtly or
covertly puts himself forward to be kidnapped or abducted by another for the
purpose of extracting money or ransom, from another or for any other reason
commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction to fourteen (14) years
imprisonment.”
“Nothing can
be more despicable and heinous than to raise false alarm where there is none.
This is even more despicable when we consider the plight of these children that
were recently kidnapped and are still being held by the kidnappers.
“Let me
sound a very serious note of warning that we have zero tolerance for crimes
against the State. No matter how high or low you may be in the society, you can
be assured that we will bring you to justice if you commit a crime.
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