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One of the leaders of the banned militia group, the Oodua People's Congress (OPC), was arraigned on Monday in Ogun State on charges including attempted murder and robbery, local sources reported on Wednesday. Ganiyu Adams, who heads the OPC hardline faction, did not take a plea and was remanded in jail until 2 November.
This marks Adams' second arraignment in two Nigerian states. Both cases are tied to his activities with the OPC. Ganiyu was arraigned last month in Lagos, Lagos State, on 23 charges including murder and robbery. On Friday, while signing a bond for his temporary release court, Adams was arrested by the Ogun State police and transferred to the state. Adams, who was arrested in August, had been declared wanted since November 1999 following riots sparked by the OPC. More than 100 people died during the unrest, which led to the banning of the organisation by President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The OPC, which was created in 1995 to protect the interests of Nigeria's Yoruba ethnic group, has been accused of rights violations, militia activities, and other illegal activities, such as publicly executing suspected criminals.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
