Adetunji Adeleye, the Commander of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, known as, Amotekun Corps says that some suspects have been arrested in connection with the deadly attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo.
Recall that at least 40 worshippers were killed and dozens got injured during the attack on the Catholic Church in Owo by the suspected terrorists.
Adeleye, who spoke to the media in Akure, shortly after parading 71 suspects for different crimes in various parts of the state, noted that the arrested suspects are already helping security agents with useful information in tracking the perpetrators.
According to him, among the arrested suspects were armed robbers, kidnappers, cultists and motorcycle snatchers.
He said, “In the last few weeks, we have been under serious pressure of attack. In the same vein, men of the Ondo State Security Network Agency have equally gone out after these criminals.
“We are parading 71 suspects. The suspects were arrested within the last one month for various offences, ranging from armed robbery, cattle rustling, suspected kidnappers, rapists, fraudsters and human traffickers .
“The 71 suspects were picked while committing offences and others were tracked to their hideouts in forests.
“We have been able to get a cartel that specialises in stealing and dismantling motor bikes which we all know as Okada. Also we were able to recover over 50 bikes during the operations from these criminals.
“We also got reports from some herdsmen that their cattle were stolen. We went after them and brought the cows back to the Fulani herdsmen that own the cows.
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“We have a group of small boys who are under 18 year-old that turned themselves into a cartel of criminals in a particular local government in Ondo State and armed themselves. They actually belong to a cult group called ‘Agbado’. We were able to arrest 12 out of the 17 members.”
He added that “We have about three to four suspected kidnappers and we intend to take most of these suspects, especially the ones we have concluded their investigations to the DPP and for their onward prosecution in court.
“We want to assure the good people of Ondo State that we will not rest on our oars until we get to the bottom of ridding the state of criminal elements. There is no hiding place for them. They turned the heat on us and we have also turned the heat on them.
“Recently, the number of JACOB AKINTUNDE, Akure
these sad occurrences in the northern senatorial part of the state has been on the increase. We are intensifying all efforts to get to root of the mischievous and barbaric acts of these criminal elements
“So to the people in the northern senatorial district, especially in the other towns in Akoko, we will continue with our operation to clean up until the very last of these criminals are driven out of these forests.”
The Amotekun boss did not give the figure of those arrested but disclosed that “a number of people have been arrested concerning the Owo attack”.
He said, “We have recovered the last vehicle they (terrorists) used for that operation before they jumped into the bush and we made some arrest.
“We pursued them to that point and we are still pursuing them. We would get to the root of it.
“We have also recovered some vital things which we are working on. As I told you, we are not stopping until we get to the root.
“I can assure you that the perpetrators and their sponsors would be brought to book.”
