The Oyo State Police Command, at the weekend, arrested a suspect in connection with the Dugbe market fire incident barely a month Governor Seyi Makinde visited the scene and assured that the perpetrators of the incident would be brought to book.
The suspect, Peter Asha, was arrested by Anti-Fraud, State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Iyaganku Police Station, following a petition by Babatunde Oni, the Solicitor to Dapo Davies, owner of Pelly Foam, an occupier of the building complex which was allegedly set ablaze by the suspect.
Vanguard learnt that a team of Police Detectives brought Asha to the scene of the fire incident around 3:20 pm on Saturday to ascertain the level of the damage caused by the inferno and returned him to the custody.
The suspect, who was fingered as the mastermind of the inferno, was said to have perpetrated the dastard act in order to forcefully eject him (Davies) and other occupants of the said complex building.
The destruction of the said building complex worth five hundred million nairas at Lebanon Street, Dugbe Ibadan, was among 191 fire outbreaks reported in Oyo State within two months.
In a petition written to the Oyo State Commissioner of Police by the solicitor of Mr Davis; Babatunde Oni, which copy was made available to journalists in Ibadan on Sunday, tagged: “Fire incident at No. 1 Lebanon street, Dugbe Alawo, Ibadan on the 15th day of April 2020: a report and call for an investigation of Mr Peter Asha as a suspect for arson,” the petitioner alleged that the accused had made several efforts before the inferno to frustrate Mr Davies and other occupants out of the said property.
It was recalled that the accused in three different attempts in August 2006 sought the support of the late Ibadan strong politician, Chief Lamidi Adedibu to forcefully eject Mr Davies, the owner of Pelly Foam and other occupants from the property which was later returned to Davies by the court.
According to a letter addressed to the Commissioner of Police by the Director of Public Prosecution with the heading, ‘Legal Advice Charge No MI/868/2006 Commissioner of Police VS Peter Asha and 2 others’ dated 26th September 2011, stated that: “The facts of the case briefly stated is that on 15/08/2006, one Peter Asha, Sola Oyin-Adejobi and Mojeed Alabi a.k.a Yellow allegedly led thugs to the shop of one Dapo Davies where they assaulted Dapo Davies and Shola Ladipo.
“They also robbed him of some furniture materials and also vandalized some properties. Having carefully reviewed the facts of the case and relevant documents in this case files, it is hereby advised that Peter Asha, Sola Oyin-Adejobi and Mojeed Alabi be charged with conspiracy to murder one Dapo Davies and Shola Ladipo contrary to and punishable under section 324 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Oyo state cap. 38 2000.”
“Unlawful damage of properties of one Dapo Davies contrary to and punishable under section 451 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Oyo state cap. 38 2000.”
But in a recent petition dated 21st April 2020, after the fire incident, the petition further revealed that among the reasons the accused was a prime suspect was that the property has been a subject of litigation between the said Mr. Asha and Mr. Davies in suit number 1/274/2004 pending before the court of Appeal, Ibadan.
He claimed he was sure that the suspect intentionally destroyed the property of his client.
Oni said: “The suspect had on several times invited Davies’s Personal Assistant, Bunmi Ajayi to name his price and ensure his properties were destroyed for holding on to what belongs to him.”
“But when Bunmi Ajayi refused to offer any help, Peter Asha allegedly stated that he would rather destroy the property.”
The petitioner commended the efforts of the then Inspector-General of Police, the then Oyo State Commissioner of Police, and the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo for ensuring that justice was not subverted at that time.
The petitioner further alleged that the suspect had one time invited the Economic Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to falsely accuse his client of fraudulently taking over his property, adding that the commission later discovered that the allegations were baseless, unfounded and full of lies.
He noted that anytime the suspect tried to use the court to achieve taking over the property, something strange and unexplainable usually happens to the property, just as the case of this fire outbreak.
Vanguardngr.com
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