Police arrest suspected OPC leader

By EVELYN USMAN
IKEJA—Lagos State Police Command, yesterday, said it had arrested a suspected leader of the outlawed Odua Peoples Congess, OPC, over Monday’s attack on a congregation of Hausa in the Idi-Araba area of the state.

The invaders, it was gathered, attacked the worshippers with broken bottles, cutlasses and other weapons during their evening pray

The attack may however, not be unconnected with the attack of Southerners in the northern parts of the country.

Residents of Idi-Araba, Vanguard learnt, fled their homes to avoid a repeat of the February 2002 ethnic conflict between the Yoruba and Hausa, which led to loss of lives and wanton destruction of property .

Spokesman for the Command, Mr Joseph Jaiyeoba, who confirmed the arrest, added that policemen were on ground and patrolling the area while efforts were on to arrest the fleeing hoodlums.

”Investigation is in progress at the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Yaba.”

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/06/police-arrest-suspected-opc-leader/

OPC members only have whistles, flashlights, dane guns (Shakabola) and a great deal of courage. What is it that makes OPC members confront armed robbers without fear while trained policemen run for cover? What is responsible for their “great deal of courage”? I think it has to do largely with their affinity for traditional African religious beliefs. OPC members believe in the efficacy of charms, amulets and gourds. Armed with these traditional security devices, they confront dangerous men and bring them to submission. The manner of operation of these traditional devices is beyond explanation. As an educated young person, I am supposed to frown at such a belief in the efficacy of trado-african security methods. I will be deceiving my self by postulating that these things do not work.

[size=14pt]In the early part of the year 2000, there were a number of confrontations between policemen and OPC members in Lagos. OPC members with the aid of Eggs razed police stations down. I was able to see the remains of one of these police stations in my locality. A Time magazine report described the incidents in an interesting manner. It said that eggs filled with sulphuric acid were used to burn down the Police posts. The question is – Which laboratory did OPC members obtain sulphuric acid from?[/size]
Yorubas have a proverb that says “A child does not recognize the efficacy of a herb so he calls it a mere vegetable ( Omode o mogun, o pe lefo). Sulphuric acid indeed.
OPC members are now highly popular with banks, petrol stations and eateries. There are ways to recognize them. If you see a man that looks out of place / not well dressed in the environs of any corporate organization and is walking around comfortably with security men, it is likely that the man is an OPC member. We should be looking forward to a time in which OPC members would start providing security to churches and mosques.

http://agbekoya..co.uk/