Wives of detained operatives of the Osun Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun Corps, on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest at the palace of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, seeking royal intervention for the release of their husbands.
The women, who described their visit as a last resort, carried placards bearing messages appealing to the monarch’s influence as the spiritual and cultural head of the Yoruba race.
Some of the inscriptions highlighted the hardship faced by their families since the detention of the operatives.
Addressing journalists, one of the protesters, Mrs Omolola Adedokun, urged the Ooni to use his moral authority to intervene with relevant authorities to secure the freedom of the detained officers.
She said the women had previously submitted petitions to the Osun State House of Assembly and other concerned bodies but lamented that no meaningful progress had been made.
Another protester, Mrs Oroniyan Fatima, said the continued detention of her husband, Oroniyan Damilare, had subjected her and their four children to severe hardship.
She maintained that her husband was innocent and was not on duty when the alleged incident in Akinlalu village occurred.
According to her, her husband’s health had deteriorated in detention, adding that he often broke down in tears whenever they spoke.
Also speaking, Mrs Oyewole Oluwaseyi said the crisis linked to the Akinlalu incident had resulted in the destruction of her husband’s family house.
She explained that her husband, Oyewole Ebenezer, was arrested by the police despite, according to her, having no connection to the killings in the community.
She appealed to the Federal Government and the police authorities to review the case and ensure justice, insisting that her family was being punished for an offence they knew nothing about.
Responding on behalf of the palace, the Arode of Ife, High Chief Kayode Awofiranye, informed the protesters that the Ooni was out of town.
He assured them that their grievances would be communicated to the monarch and advised them to return at a later date.
Recalled that 25 Amotekun operatives from Osun State were arrested and taken to Abuja by the police in October over the alleged killing of three persons in Akinlalu village.