Ado-Odo crisis: Judge lambasts DPO, calls him a liar

[Mirror]

The Commission of Enquiry set up by Ogun State Government over the crisis that rocked Ado-Odo town has accused the Divisional Police Officer in-charge of Ado- Odo Police Division, Mr. Olukayode Ayilara, a Chief Superintendent of Police, of lying and negligence of duty.

The Commission, headed by Justice Oluwatosin Elizabeth Osinuga also found CSP Ayilara wanting in rescuing the monarch, Oba Lateef Akanni Adeniran from being stripped naked by the rioters.

At the sitting of the commission on Monday, Justice Osinuga described the DPO as a liar in a federal uniform.

It would be recalled that between April 14th and 15th, 2013, a riot broke out in Ado-Odo town in which Oba Adeniran was stripped naked, while his wife, Olori Fausat Adeniran was almost raped and his driver, Olufemi Jide was equally attacked.

The ancient palace of the monarch was also razed by angry mob mostly youths who did not spare several vehicles parked within the palace, belonging to Oba Adeniran.

Following the desecration of the traditional institution however, the commission, under the chairmanship of Justice Osinuga was inaugurated by the Ibikunle Amosun led administration to establish the immediate and remote causes of the crisis as well as recommend punishments.

CSP Ayilara however, incurred the wrath of the commission due to inconsistencies in his statement while being crosintercourseamined by the monarch's counsel, Chief Afolabi Fasahanu (SAN) as well as members of the judicial commission.

The commission had asked the DPO, whether it was normal by police's protocol and practice to think of people who are asthmatics during crisis, particularly when the police want to disperse crowd of rioters, before using tear gas.

The DPO then responded that he refused to use canisters on the angry mob to prevent Oba Adeniran from being molested but rather chose to "beg" the rioters. The response did not convince the chairman of the commission who immediately took a swipe at the DPO.

Justice Osinuga said; "We have audio and video recordings; you have at different times said different things here today and you wore a federal uniform. To say that 'no, I did not use tear gas because of the people that are asthmatics and because you did not want to choke Kabiyesi', is something I did not expect from an officer who claimed to have spent 19 years in the Police service".

In the video footage of the attack which was admitted as evidence before the commission, Justice Osinuga expressed disgust that the police did not arrive the scene of the attack which lasted for about three hours despite the DPO's attestation that it takes less than 10 minutes drive from his office to the scene of the incident.

Counsel to the monarch, Fashanu also accused the DPO and his men of ineffectiveness, stressing that there is connivance between the police and the hoodlums to attack the monarch. He equally accused the DPO of leaking the IGP's intention to effect the arrest of the hoodlums, due to the inability of the officers on ground to do same.

In his defense however, the DPO told the commission that 7 accused persons were arrested during the violent clash, adding that he and his men prevented the hoodlums from killing the monarch.

National Mirror