Amotekun arrests 15 suspects in Ondo

Following the spate of kidnapping and other insecurity in Ondo State, the Commandant of the State Security Network known as Amotekun, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, on Wednesday, said 15 suspects have been arrested by the command over various criminal activities in the state.

Adeleye who disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Akure, the state capital, said the suspects were arrested at various hot spots in the state after the commencement of a special operation tagged “Operation Clean-Up.”

He said explained that the operation was part of the Amotekun efforts to combat insecurity across the state and said
men of the security outfit have been deployed to dark spots across the state, saying men of the Amotekun corps and other security agencies have intensified patrol, joint operations to raid black spots to ensure hitch-free festive season in the state.

He said: “We visited some of the dark spots in the night and between the hour of 12 midnight and 4 am, we were able to arrest about 15 of these criminals where they are committing these criminal acts.

“We arrested about 15 suspects during the operation clean up that we commenced yesterday. Most of these criminals would be turned over to the conventional security agencies for prosecution where necessary.”

He said men of the Amotekun corps in the state had redoubled efforts in the deployment of personnel, surveillance and stop and search operations in the territory.

He also disclosed that the command has commenced and designed some tactics aimed at dislodging kidnappers and their bases which was still ongoing in the state.

He assured that Amotekun would leave no stone unturned to rid the state of crime and criminality, saying that the ban on commercial motorcycle operators has helped to reduce crimes in the state.

Speaking on the murder of the traditional ruler of Ifon, Oba Israel Adeusi, the Amotekun Commandant said some suspects were arrested around Elegbaka after his men combed the forest while four victims were rescued by the corps.

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He said: “We combed the forest in Elegbeka and we are able to arrest some suspects and they are undergoing interrogation. We rescue three victims from the Elegbeka forest on the same night that the traditional ruler of ifon was killed.

“On the recent kidnap in the state, our men in collaboration with the conventional security agencies, local hunters and vigilante and OPC went into the forest and we were able to make some arrest and those arrested are undergoing a various level of interrogation.

“What we observed in the last two weeks is a downward trend in these criminal activities within the state. This is why the Amotekun corps had decided to change tactics so that we can sustain the relative peace in the state.

“We have commenced what we tagged Operation clean up in the state. This is to take the war against criminality to every corner of the state rather than waiting for the criminal to come out”

Adeleye also explained that “In the past few weeks Ondo state witnessed an increase in criminal activities, especially robbery and kidnapping and a number of other nefarious act.

“Men of the Amotekun Corps went into action in collaboration with other security agencies and we put up a number of measures that stepped down these activities.

“You will agree with me that some five weeks ago we recorded over 15 robbery cases within a week, but in the last three weeks with exception of the isolation kidnap and robbery, criminal activities had dwindled within the state capital to a very low ebb.

“This drop in criminal activities can be attributed to a number of factors which includes the decision of the state government to ban the night use of commercial motorcyclists from operating from 6 pm.

“Commercial motorcyclist are banned from operating from 6 pm in the state because most of the robbery incident that occurred in the state, the criminals used motorcycles to escape from the scene of the incident.

“The ban enables us to identify these Criminals during the night. The patrol of security agencies in the night also helps to reduce and greatly improve the security in the state.”

He, however, commended other conventional security agencies in the state and said: “We are working in conjunction with other conventional security agencies, we went out yesterday and recorded tremendous success.”

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

Amotekun arrests 15 suspects in Ondo