Akure, March 4, 2024 – Amotekun, the Security Network Agency in Ondo State, has arrested 67 men for alleged involvement in kidnapping and some other crimes.
Adetunji Adeleye, the Commander of the Corps, paraded the suspects at the headquarters of the command in Akure on Monday.
He said the suspects were arrested by the Amotekun Corps in collaboration with the police, army, the DSS, and the Nigeria Akure, Security and Civil Defence Corps in various parts of the state in the last two weeks.
Adeleye said many of the suspected kidnappers had been identified by their victims which confirmed their involvement in the crime.
“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.
“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 involved in housebreaking, some suspected robbers and murderers.”
Adeleye said three out of the suspects escaped from the prison while facing some criminal charges in Benin, Edo State.
“Out of these 67, we have three that could be regarded as jailbirds. 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 terrorising the USO/Emure/Owo axis. These are cross sections of criminals troubling the peace of the state.
“The major reason for parading them is to send the signal to criminals that Ondo State cannot tolerate them and the government is resolute in ensuring that the peace and stability of the state is not disturbed by them.” (GBN)
