Ondo State Security Network Agency, codenamed “Amotekun Corps” in collaboration with other security agencies has confirmed the Arrest of some Perpetrators of Owo Catholic church Massacre, recovering some weapons and the vehicle.
Similarly, the Corps has paraded 71 suspected kidnappers, armed robbers, Okada snatchers and human traffickers.
Parading the suspects, the State Commander of Amotekun, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye who did not give the specific number and other full details of the arrested Owo church attackers, said the corps was still working with other sister security agencies to track all the perpetrators.
Akogun Adeleye appealed to the people of Ondo State especially those at the border towns on Akoko-Owo-Ose axis to remain calm and support the security men to clean up forests of criminals.
On the 71 suspects paraded in Akure today, the Amotekun Commander said they would be charged to court for prosecution after the conclusion of investigations.
The June 5, 2022 attack on St Francis Catholic Church, Owo claimed 40 lives.
Adeleye said, “A number of people have been arrested concerning the owo attack and I am telling you for free that the last vehicle they used before they jumped into the bush has been recovered.
“We pursued them to that point and we are still pursuing them, we will get to the root of it.
“The suspects being paraded were arrested within the last one month for crimes ranging from armed robbery, cattle rustling, kidnapping, fraud.
“This 71 suspects were picked while committing offences and others were tracked to their hideouts in the forest.
“We have been able to break a cartel that specializes in stealing and dismantling motorbikes (Okada). We have over 30 motorbikes recovered during a one-day operation.
“We also got report from someone herdsmen that their cattles were stolen and rustled and we went after them we recovered them and returned them to the owners.
“We have a group of small boys under 18 years that formed themselves into a cartel of criminals in a particular local government area of the State and armed themselves.
“They actually belong to a cult group called “Agbado”, 12 of them were arrested.
“We also have four kidnappers and we intend to take most of this suspects, especially, all the ones we’ve concluded investigation on to the Department of Public Prosecution for onwards prosection.
“We want to reassure the good people of Ondo State that we will not rest until we get to the bottom of the matter and riding the state of criminal elements.
“We are intensifying efforts to get to the root of the mischievous act of these criminal elements. So, to the people in the northern Senatorial district, especially the border towns in Akoko, we will continue with the operation clean- up in the forest there until the last of these criminals are driven out of these forests,” Adeleye said.
