By: Ade Adeleke
67 suspected kidnappers, armed robbers and other criminal elements have been apprehended across different locations by the Ondo State Security Network, codenamed, Amotekun Corps.
Among them were three regular jail breakers, one of who escaped from a prison in Edo State.
The State Commander of Amotekun, Chief Adetunji Adeleye disclosed that 24 among the suspects were kidnappers, including Musa Abubakar from Gombe State, who claimed he was planning to retire from kidnapping after his last operation around Uso-Ogbese-Owo axis, where he was nabbed.
Addressing journalists at the Corps headquarters at Alagbaka, Akure, Chief Adeleye, named the three jailbirds to include; Taiwo Adeola, Juwon Olanrewaju and Olajide Olayemi.
According to the Commander, about 100 individuals arrested a couple of weeks ago, who claimed to be hunters from the Northern part of the country and stormed Ondo State forests where kidnapping usually took place, had been returned to their home states.
He said: “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 terrorizing Uso/Emure/Owo axis. These are cross section of criminals troubling the peace of the state.”
Other suspects were arrested for kidnapping, illegal possession of firearms, house-breaking, robbery and murder.
According to the Corps Commander, “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 housebreaking, some suspected robbers and murderers.”
Meanwhile, some persons arrested a couple of weeks ago, who claimed to hunters from the Northern part of the country and stormed the forests where kidnapping activities take place, have been returned to their states.
He said Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa ordered that the persons, who could not provide convincing information about themselves, to be returned to their states
Akogun Adeleye said: “A worrisome group that we observed recently is young men in their hundreds saying they are hunters with dogs entering the nooks and crannies of the state.
“On the directives of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, we returned them to their base up north. We escorted them far out of the reach of Ondo State.
“We have done this about three or four times, so we want to let them know, anybody coming into Ondo State must have a place he is going, we must know why he is coming and he must have a reference point, not just tell us that you are coming from up north and you want to go into our forestry reserves and hunt.
“Yes, we are not opposed to hunting, but we have rules and regulations guiding whoever wants to enter our reserves. So, we have sent them back on the directives of the governor.”
He, however, assured the people of the state that all security agencies in the state are resolute to chase out criminals from the state for safety of lives and property.
