The Ondo State Security Network, code-named Amotekun Corps, has arrested 27 suspected criminals over their involvement in various crimes, including three young farmers who kidnapped a traveller.
Adetunji Adeleye, the State Commander of Amotekun Corps, while parading the suspects on Monday in Akure, said the three kidnappers who claimed to be farmers were apprehended at a forest around border town of Ikakumo Akoko-Kogi/Edo States axis.
Adeleye said, “We are parading 27 suspected criminals that engaged in various security breaches across Ondo State and across the board, I want to say that despite pockets of security breaches, the security situation of the state is good.
“For instance, on law and order, we have 22 suspects within the period under review. On pending enforcement, there is no infringement. On land and chieftaincy, there are no issues. Anti-grazing farmers/herders clashes, we had six but we’ve resolved five, the remaining one will go to court. On human trafficking, none today.
“We have four kidnapped suspects that are going through interrogation; Student affairs is peaceful, militancy, no issue, political atmosphere is peaceful, religious activity is peaceful, across the board, I want to say that the state is relatively peaceful.
Read also: Amotekun arrests, parades 45 suspected criminals in Ondo
“On the 27 suspects, we have Michael Ojo. You will recall that the last parade we did, we arrested one of the major members of a syndicate that specializes in killing okada riders, robbing them, and some of them were at large. We went as far as Kogi and Edo, before we were able to track and arrest Michael Ojo who is here on parade.
“He has confessed to stealing so many motorcycles. He said he lost count of them and dispossessed them, dismantled them, takes them out of the state, as in pieces.
“We have Akerele Ibrahim who is also a criminal that has been under tracking for some time, but this time around, he went and threatened to kill a farmer, having destroyed his farmland in Akoko area too. We’ve been able to arrest him after evading arrest for so long, we have him here.
“On anti-grazing, we have Wakili Ibrahim, who has been arrested several times and since he’s not repentant, he will be going to face the full wrath of the law on anti-grazing charges.
“The Amotekun Rangers that was launched has been yielding a lot of dividends. For instance, it is the activity of the Amotekun Rangers that yielded all these criminals that we picked in the border towns between Edo and Kogi. And because they are domicile right in the forests there, it’s easy for them to go after. And right now, as we talk, they are in the extreme end of Ose and Akoko, where there are security breaches right now.”
Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date
Open In Whatsapp