Amotekun patrols Ondo forests to arrest criminals, parades 62 suspected offenders

DAMISI OJO, Akure

In its determination to further make Ondo State a safer place for residents to live in, men of the Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSN) otherwise called ”Amotekun‘, has moved into the forests on patrol to fish out suspected criminals in their hides-out.

Besides, the Commandant of the Security outfit, Adetunji Adeleye, on Monday paraded 62 suspected criminals including some ex-convicts for committing various offences across the 18 Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas of the state.

According to him, the arrest of these suspected criminals arouse from distressed calls received, surveillance activities of Amotekun men and all the security agencies in the state, including the police, the Civil Defence, the DSS and the Army, in various joint operations.

Adeleye specifically noted that the ember month patrol was strategic, stressing that the corps were determined to guarantee safety of lives and properties in Ondo State and for those passing through its various highways.

Highlighting how the suspects were arrested, the Amotekun Commandant said: “We were able to track down about 15 suspected kidnappers. Some of them with guns they use, the money received as part of the ransom and all they told those coming to pay ransom to bring along with the money. We have cigarettes, bread from Osogbo and another one from Ilorin because they gave them terms of how to package the ransom”.

In the process, he said, the Amotekun operatives through their vigilance, were able to arrest some of them, especially, in the Ala/Dada/Ago Oyinbo axis of Akure North Local Government, while some suspected kidnappers residing in and terrorizing innocent people at Elegbeka axis on Owo-Benin road were apprehended

Also, Adeleye hinted that some armed robbers that were actually caught in the act in Akure metropolis and those that specializes in breaking shops were apprehended.

The Commandant said:”We have another group that breaks into people’s houses during church service when they know that they would have gone out and we have those that steal goats. The vehicle over there was arrested yesterday fully loaded with goats and we went round Idanre and Ondo West Local Government where they like ‘Asun’. So, it will be easy for them to sell the goat but they were caught in the act”.

He re-emphasised that there was no hiding place for criminals in Ondo State and advised them to leave honourably, assuring that they will be caught.

Adeleye used the occasion to thank the public for the support received in terms of timely and quality information.

He encouraged them to do more, assuring that the security agencies in the state were determined to guarantee safety of lives and properties, especially during this yuletide period.

Two of the notorious suspects arrested- Usman Garuba and Suleman Abubakar, 72 committed different offences.

Garuba, an ex-convict, was said to have been arrested around Ala/Dada/Ago-Oyinbo axis after successfully kidnapped over nine people and collected ransoms.

At a point in one of the villages, because of attempting to fight him, he led five other people back at night and burnt down the whole village.

Abubakar, 72, was said to have been employed as a security man in an establishment.

He reportedly gave out the information of his boss to the kidnappers who came to kidnap him and was communicating with them.

When he was arrested, Adeleye said they perused his phone and found out that he has contacts with the same number they were using to negotiate.

The suspect was said to be serving as an informant to kidnappers.

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