Iskilu Wakili, the lynchpin of the kidnapping and other violent crimes going on in communities in Ibarapa and Oke-Ogun areas of Oyo State, has been arrested.
He was arrested on Sunday by a joint team of Ibarapa security operatives, including Oodua People’s Congress, Vigilante, and other groups in the area.
Wakili and his gang were allegedly involved in the killing and kidnapping of several people in Ibarapa, Oke Ogun, Oyo State.
His arrest comes about seven days after his lieutenant, Isiaka Muhammadu, was arrested alongside four others.
Gani Adams, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, in a statement issued on Sunday confirmed Wakili’s arrest.
Adams said the Fulani warlord was arrested around 7 am on Sunday and had been handed over to the Divisional Police Office in Igbo Ora, Oyo State.
The statement was titled, “Insecurity: Gani Adams applauds OPC, Ibarapa joint security team over the arrest of Kidnap kingpin Wakilu, three others in Ibarapa’.
The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland described Wakili as the ‘most-dreaded, notorious kidnap kingpin’ who has operated in Oyo State.
“I am happy that the notorious kidnapper had been captured alongside three others. It is a good development and a positive signal to other criminal elements that the South-West is no longer an abode for bandits, kidnappers, and criminal herders.
“I commend all the members of the joint security team that has made this possible because with the video at my disposal, it was purely a neat job.
“With this development, I think the whole world will agree with me that the fight against insurgency, kidnapping, and banditry needs native intelligence, information gathering, and grassroots support from local securities and operatives.
“As I have said earlier that the effort to rid the South-West of bandits and kidnappers was to complement the efforts of the police and in doing that, it is also very important for the police to support the local security operatives because they are always at the grassroots and they have their ears to the ground on local security matters.”
Also, Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, commended OPC for Wakilu’s arrest.
“Afenifere gives tremendous commendation to OPC under Iba Gani Adams for the arrest of iskilu Wakili, a Fulani bandit who has been spreading terror on our people in Igboho area and the Nigerian Police and other security agencies unable to do anything about him,” Yinka Odumakin, Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, said in a statement on Sunday.
“The early morning peaceful arrest confirms our position on how effective local initiative can do well in homeland security.
“We were not shocked that but for the intervention by the leadership in Oyo State, the Police would have gone after the OPC boys instead of taking the criminal from them and do the needful.
“Nigeria is going nowhere with a security network that shuns federalism.”
