….. as Ogun Assembly seeks bail for detained lawmaker from DSS Custody

By James Ogunnaike

ABEOKUTA: The Ogun State government on Thursday lifted curfew imposed on Sagamu town following deadly clashes between rival cult groups last month.

According to a statement by the Secretary to the State Government, (SSG) Mr. Tokunbo Talabi, the improved security situation across the troubled town informed the decision to lift the curfew.

It would be recalled that rival cult groups engaged themselves in supremacy battle, where no fewer than 20 people were said to have been killed.

Talabi said normalcy has returned to the town while security agents continue with investigations into the remote and immediate causes of the cult clashes, adding that Governor Dapo Abiodun is committed to ridding the state of all forms of violence.

He urged the people of Sagamu to go about their daily activities without fear as adequate security remains on ground in spite of the lifting of the curfew. The restriction of human and vehicular movement between 7pm to 6am was imposed last month as an immediate response to the cult clashes.

Meanwhile, the Ogun State House of Assembly has passed a resolution requesting the release of the detained member of the Assembly, Muhammed Bello, who has been in the custody of the Department of State Security (DSS), in connection with the cult clash in Sagamu.

Bello, who is representing Sagamu 1 State Constituency, has been in custody of the DSS since September.

The Assembly urged the secret Police to release the embattled lawmaker pending the conclusion of investigation, so as not to allow his constituents suffer absence of representation.

The passage of the resolution followed a motion moved by the Majority Leader, Yusuf Sheriff, seconded by the Minority Leader, Lukman Adeleye and supported by other lawmakers through a voice vote at a plenary presided over by Speaker Olakunle Oluomo at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

In their submissions, the lawmakers advocated for the bail of their detained colleague, explaining that the security agency could continue with their investigation while not depriving the lawmaker of his constitutional duty of representing his constituency.

They noted that since whatever he was alleged was bailable; administrative bail could be granted the lawmaker to allow him continue to represent his constituency pending the conclusion of investigation rather than allowing him remain in custody for over two weeks.