The Ondo State Security Network Agency, Amotekun, announced the arrest of at least 58 suspects, including 32 kidnappers, who have been allegedly terrorizing the state recently.
The Amotekun Commander, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, who disclosed this while parading some of the suspects said the kidnappers were picked up within the past week from various locations.
He explained that the suspects, currently undergoing interrogation, were arrested in four locations within the state which include, Akure North, Akure South, Ose, and Akoko local government areas.
According to him, the operatives of the Corps mobilised reinforcement to the local government and launched operations into the criminal enclaves where most of the criminals were apprehended.
Adeleye said; “in recent time, we have an upsurge of criminal activities in Ondo State, the officers and men of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, Amotekun mobilized additional support from the neighbouring local government and entered into the forests reserves and areas noted for this nefarious activities.
“In the last one week, we were able to arrest 32 suspects for kidnapping, who are currently undergoing interrogation. We have a total of 58 people that we are parading today.
“We want to reassure the residents of Ondo State that with the efforts put in place by the government of Ondo State, that all the security agencies in the state we have acted to flush out these criminals from their hideouts. Maybe in the forests or in the town for us to achieve a very safe community.
“As a result of the recent killings in the Akoko North axis, officers and men of all the security agencies including Amotekun had been parading the area and I am glad to let you know that as we talk, normalcy has been returned to the area.
“We are talking about Ago Dada, Ago-Oyinbo and its environment. We want to reassure the residents that they can continue with their normal farming activities as the government has established a joint Task Force to stabilize the very remote areas of Akoko North where these nefarious activities took place.
“In order to drive out our points, the leadership of Miyetti Allah and Hausa community have been invited and they have pledged to support the Corps in fishing out the baddest to such an extent that both the forests and the cities in the state would be safe.
“With these, we are appealing to the good people of Ondo State to join hands with the government and the security agencies in giving us timely and actionable information once any suspicious movement is seen.
“In addition, we have observed over a long period that trucks bringing food stuffs and other things from other parts come in with hundreds of people coming down South without knowing where they are going to.
“They have agreed to inform the owners of the trucks that the Ondo State Government will not tolerate more than five people per trailer for the load and the security agencies at the borders have been so informed to send those vehicles with human beings back to where they were coming from.
“This is the part of the measures the government is taking to safeguard lives and property in Ondo State. Now that the government is doing everything to guarantee the safety of lives and property, the general populace’s support and cooperation is highly solicited.
He stated further that “We are all aware the criminal activities that happened in the deep forests of Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State, the government have drafted a joint patrol team, comprising the Army, NSCDC and Amotekun men and we have been able to return the normalcy to Ago-Oyinbo, Ago-Dada and others.
“And as we talk now, normalcy has been returned to the areas and the government has directed that Amotekun Post should be put in place as a control point in those remote areas to prevent any further crime activities in the state.
“If we follow the trend about a year ago, we were able to arrest one of the suspects that led us to the arrest of his big boys outside and they have all been prosecuted and as we talk, they are in the Correctional Centre. We do in-depth investigation, we take them to the Court of competent jurisdiction and appropriate punishment goes to them.
“Part of these 32 suspects being paraded as suspected kidnappers are the people arrested around Akure North, South, Ose and Akoko Local Government Areas in the last one week. They were smoked out of the forests and around the places where this incident happened.
“The results of the Armored Rangers and other departments of Amotekun is what we are seeing today. Armoured Rangers is doing very well in collaboration with other security agencies.”
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