A 34-year-old factional leader of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), along with 10 others, was on Tuesday arraigned before a Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Akure, the Ondo State capital, over an attempt to assassinate a traditional ruler, Oba Adeniyi Adinlewa, the Obaloogun of Igoba land.
The suspect, Tolulope Alo, popularly known as ‘Asamo’, and the other defendants were brought to court on an eight-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy, attempted murder, and unlawful possession of firearms, among others.
The other defendants are Ayodele Saka (34), Seun Bankole (42), Kolawole Kazeem (35), Bankole Tobi (25), Sunday Amigun (32), Adedayo Ogidan (43), Olaoluwa Kayode (21), Seriki Lateef (35), and Ezekiel Vincent (26).
The traditional ruler was said to have escaped by the whiskers when the suspect allegedly invaded the Igoba community last Thursday, attacking residents.
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According to the police prosecutor, Inspector Sulaiman Adebayo, the offences occurred between October 1 and 2, 2025, at the Aleo and Imolumo communities in Igoba, within the Akure Magisterial District, stating that the suspects were armed with single-barrel guns, a dagger, charms, and other dangerous weapons.
Adebayo further stated that the defendants were found with two cut-to-size barrel guns, three live cartridges, two expended cartridges, two cutlasses, five knives, and a bulletproof vest.
While emphasising that the suspects also destroyed a Teno mobile phone worth ₦80,000 and damaged tomato crops valued at ₦5,000 belonging to one Mrs. Arowolo Joy, the prosecution emphasised that the defendants violated Sections 516, 320, 332, 251, 42, and 71 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 37, Vol. 1, Laws of Ondo State, 2006, and Section 5 of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap. 174, Vol. 4, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. Ondo property listings
Magistrate Damilola Sekoni subsequently ruled that the defendants be held in police custody for one day to allow their counsel time to gather facts for a counter-affidavit.
Sekoni then ordered that they be transferred to the Olokuta Correctional Centre. The case was adjourned till October 10, 2025, for hearing on the remand application.
