Adeyinka Olaiya/
The Oodua Progressive Union (OPU), Brazil Chapter, has urged police authorities in Nigeria to release its members being detained in Oyo State, Nigeria, after busting and handing the dreaded kidnap kingpin, Abdullah Iskilu Wakili, to the police.
In a statement issued after a conference held in Brazil on May 16, 2021, the executive members of OPU threatened to expose irregularities in the Nigerian system if its members arrested illegally are not released immediately. The group gave a 7-day ultimatum that will end on May 24, 2021.
The President of OPU, Brazil Chapter, Comrade Daniel Adebayo Majaro, stated at the conference: “We will go to any extent and fight for the release of our members arrested illegally. We are tired of unlawful detentions, killings and illegalities in the land of our forefathers.”
Also speaking at the conference, the Coordinator of OPU in Latin America, Comrade Ogunlowo Abiola Ezekiel (Coker) said that the OPU in Latin America was ready to fight for the release of its arrested members in Nigeria.
The conference was called to discuss the continued detention of the three members identified as Dauda Kazeem, Awodele Adedigba and Ramon Hassan. They were allegedly detained shortly after the group founded by Iba Gani Adams handed over the dreaded kidnap kingpin, Abdullah Iskilu Wakili, to the police.
Babalawo Adegboyega Najeem, known as Oodua Father in Brazil, said at the conference that “the Oodua Progressive Union in Brazil is a strong and effective group with thousands of members in Latin America.”
He added, “The aim of its members here in Brazil is to alert the government of Nigeria that OPU in Brazil is also ready for action at any point in time. Release our comrades. They are not criminals.”
The Sao Paulo state coordinator of OPU, Comrade Babatunde Ajayi Obey said that the police authorities in Nigeria “must release the three arrested comrades with immediate effect”.
He added that failure to do so might lead to the unexpected, as he urged the police to do the needful and set the arrested comrades free.
Comrade Rasheed Ayodele (Ibadan) also joined the clamor for the release of the OPU members.
Alhaji Musibau Akanni and several other members present at the conference approved of the resolution. They urged the Nigerian government to do the needful and set the arrested members free immediately.
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