Police press cultism, cybercrime charges against protesters, Ondo guber candidate

Group cautions FG against worse #EndSARS protests

The Ondo State Police Command has stated that the governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Kunle Wizeman Ajayi, who was arrested while protesting against bad governance along with nine other activists, were cultists and cyber criminals.

The AAC governorship candidate and other protesters identified as Patrick Owolabi, Oluwatobi Akinkuotu, Kolawole Kumuyi, and Olalekan Oladehinde, among others, were arrested at the weekend, in Akure, the state capital, during the protest between the NEPA Roundabout and Arcade Arena.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, the identity of the protesters was revealed as that of suspected criminals due to the beret they were putting on.

The PPRO, while admitting that Ajayi and the activists, under the aegis of “Take It Back” movement, notified the police of the protest, said the protesters failed to adhere to the directives of the police as regards the demonstration.

Odunlami-Omisanya emphasised that the arrest became imperative due to the rising number of protesters, who were joined by those suspected to be hoodlums.
She said: “Investigations later revealed that the insignia on the beret of the protesters had a resounding resemblance to that of the Aiye Confraternity, which attracted members and rival groups. On the heels of the above, further investigations suggested that certain members of the protesting group were suspected of involvement in cultism and cybercrime activities.

“The arrested persons are being profiled in line with emerging facts and will soon be arraigned after investigation,” she further said. Meanwhile, a conflict-resolution organisation, Nigerian Working Group on Peace Building and Conflict Prevention, yesterday, warned the federal government and other stakeholders that the country risks something worse than the 2020 #EndSARS protests except urgent steps are taken to address issues of hunger, poverty and corruption.

In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Adewale Adeoye, and other regional coordinators, the group said, that President Bola Tinubu and other political leaders must appreciate that Nigeria faces increasing social and economic strain that raises the prospect of a major upheaval unless urgent steps are taken to stem the tide.

It said that the recent nationwide protests snowballed into widespread violence across the country on the fact that the current economic and social crises are pushing citizens to the edge with foreseeable consequences on sustainable development.

The group, which said that it had embarked on tour of the six geo-political zones to engage social and cultural formations, using its existing structures to stem the prospect of ethnic and religious violence, said that corruption, mismanagement and favoritism had undermined the ability of the country to emerge from perpetual underdevelopment and threats of violence.

It, therefore, urged the federal and state governments to stop the distribution of palliatives, saying: “The funds being used for palliatives should be invested in agriculture. Palliatives only address the cosmetic needs of a few people without creating the pillars of jobs and real economic growth which the country urgently needs.”