AFRICA

Ondo Amotekun Arrests 23 Suspected Kidnappers, 44 Others in Two Weeks

Ondo State Security Network Agency codenamed Amotekun on Monday paraded 67 suspects arrested for various criminal offences across the state within two week.

The Ondo state Commander of the Corps, Mr Adetunji Adeleye, while parading the latest suspects at the Command’s headquarters, in Akure said 23 out of the 67 suspects are suspected kidnappers.

We have a good number of suspected criminals arrested during operations across Ondo State. The 67 criminals were arrested within the last two weeks of rounding up of ‘Operation Ember Months Programmes’ that we embarked on prior to the last yuletide.

“A good number of them were suspected kidnappers while a good number of them were identified by their victims. Some of them were arrested with different types of weapons, some of them housebreaking, some suspected robbers and murderers.

He also said among the suspects are three jailbirds identified as Taiwo Adeola, Juwon Olanrewaju and Olajide Olayemi

“One of them escaped from Benin, according to him where he was answering charges bordering on kidnapping and robbery. Another one who claimed to be running away from fellow kidnappers because he was not joining them again, we were also able to arrest him in what he termed his last operation in Kidnapping, before we arrested him.

He told us he is a member of a seven team kidnap group terrorizing Uso/Emure/Owo axis. So, Tlthese are cross sections of criminals troubling the peace of the state.

Adeleye explained that the major reason for parading them is to send signal to criminals that Ondo State cannot tolerate them and the state government is resolute in ensuring that the peace and stability of the state is not disturbed by them.

“Once you know that there is no way you engage in criminal activities and you won’t be arrested, I want to advice them to go. I want to continue to reassure the good people of the state that the Amotekun, and all other security agencies especially military, NSCDC and Police that we remain resolute in our determination to continue to make Ondo State safe for our socio-economic activities.”

Besides, the corps commander said, “a worrisome group that we observed recently is young men in their hundreds saying they are hunters with dogs entering the nooks and cranny of the state. On the directives of Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, we returned them to their base up in the North.

“We escorted them far out of the reach of Ondo State. We have done this about three or four times, so we want to let them know, anybody coming into Ondo State must have a place he is going, we must know why he is coming and he must have a reference point, not just tell us that you are coming from up North and you want to go into our forestry reserves and hunt. Yes, we are not opposed to hunting, but we have rules and regulations guiding whoever wants to enter our reserves, so we have sent them back to their states, on the directives of the governor”, he added.

Fidelis David in Akure