- warns communities, residents against hosting strangers, to be careful with visitors
The local security outfit, Amotekun Corps, has arrested 97 suspected bandits who allegedly fled into Ondo State forests following the ongoing persistent bombardments of their hideouts in the North by the military..
Simultaneously, it alerted of reported fresh Influx of fleeing bandits from the northern parts of the country into forests and communities in the state, a trend it cried is posing security challenges.
Amotekun Corps Commander in the state, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed these in Akure , the state capital at the weekend while parading 97 suspects arrested across different locations in the state within the last 14 days.
The suspected criminals were arrested for offences ranging from kidnapping, unlawful entering of state forests, armed robbery, vehicle theft, and violations of the anti-open grazing law.
The 97 suspects paraded included those allegedly linked with kidnapping, armed robbery, burglary, vehicles hijacking and theft.
They also included suspected informants and logistics suppliers to criminal gangs operating in forests across the state.
Several stolen vehicles recovered from the suspects were displayed during the parade.
Adeleye also disclosed that security operatives recovered a vehicle allegedly used during an attack on members of a security team before it was abandoned in a forest.
He said security operatives intercepted several groups of suspected bandits, including women of different ages, travelling into forests with household items such as bedding, cooking utensils, mortars and pestles, raising suspicions about their mission.
According to the Commander, preliminary investigations revealed that some of the individuals claimed they were fleeing security pressure in northern Nigeria and had been invited by their husbands and family members already residing in forest reserves and within communities in Ondo State.
The Amotekun boss cited a case where a man who reportedly requested only two labourers later received 51 additional persons who moved into a forest area with their belongings, describing the development as suspicious and worthy of further investigation.
He also disclosed that another group of 16 suspects allegedly invited by an individual claiming to be a farmer was intercepted while heading towards the Ose/Owo forest, an area that has witnessed security concerns in recent years.
Adeleye said after profiling, women and children among intercepted suspects would be relocated back to their respective states with the help of Mayetti Allah and Hausa leadership in Ondo State, while those with criminal tendencies will be prosecuted.
The Agency’s Boss warned community leaders, traditional rulers and residents of Ondo State to stop admitting strangers into their areas amidst security concerns in the country.
Adeleye disclosed that some suspects confessed to acting as informants for kidnappers, while two others allegedly disguised themselves as mentally ill persons in order to conceal their identities and gather information for criminal elements.
The commander further announced the dismantling of a robbery syndicate accused of invading homes at night under the guise of being visitors, holding occupants hostage, forcing them to transfer money electronically and making away with vehicles and other valuables.
He attributed the successes recorded in recent operations to collaboration between Amotekun, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services and the Nigerian Army, noting that the joint efforts had contributed significantly to the relative peace currently being enjoyed in the state.
In Adeleye’s words, “A total of 97 suspects arrested across the 18 local governments of Ondo State were arrested directly in connection with kidnapping-related cases.
“Some were arrested for violating the anti-open grazing law of Ondo State, while others were arrested for burglary and robbery. Some were also arrested in connection with hijacking and stealing of vehicles.
“We equally have some individuals who confessed to being informants and suppliers of logistics to kidnappers in the forest, as well as those confirmed to be members of kidnapping groups.
“I want to bring to the attention of the general public a new trend in criminality that we have observed.
“It is a situation where women of different ages travel in vehicles into the interior of forests carrying household utensils, mortars and pestles, bedding, cooking utensils and personal belongings. Upon interrogation, they confirmed that they were fleeing security operations in the North.
“We have a group that was invited by some members of these northern groups to come and destabilise the peace in the southern part of the state, which had previously been very peaceful.
“One individual told us he invited only two people to come and work for him, but those two brought 51 others. When we arrested the man who invited them, he confirmed that he had only invited two persons to work on his farm.
“These individuals then brought 51 other people in two lorries loaded with different types of goods to an area where they had never been before. It is highly suspicious.
“Another group of 16 persons was equally invited by one person who claimed to be a farmer. They were heading towards the restive axis of the Ose-Owo forests.
“Among those arrested are Isa, 35; Yaya, 22; Jelly, 30; Umaru, 25; Ekele, 52; Kita, 32; Isiaka, 50; Muhammad, 41; Joseph, 27; Akim; Isiaka, 41; and Omoni, 23.
“Some are members of various armed robbery and kidnapping groups arrested in the forests of Ikare, Kajola, Akure, Ilu-Abo, Akure North, Murewo and Ojoma Camp. Two others arrested in Akure were pretending to be mentally ill when they were actually not.
“They confessed to providing information, claiming they did not know the information was being passed to criminals. That was why they were being paid to pose as mentally unstable persons.
“Some of them even went as far as attending hospitals to obtain cards indicating they were mentally ill, only for investigations to reveal it was a ploy to conceal their identities.
“In one local government area, we were able to break a syndicate that specialised in visiting innocent residents at night while pretending to be guests.
“They entered homes without firing a shot, locked the doors, brought out guns, ate, rested, and in the early hours of the morning forced victims to transfer money to various accounts before taking vehicle keys and locking the occupants inside.
“We were able to retrieve the stolen vehicles. These are the vehicles you see here. We also recovered a vehicle that was used to attack members of the security team at midnight in an attempt to facilitate an escapee. The vehicle was later found abandoned in a forest.
“Across the board, we want to state that virtually all major criminal incidents that occurred in Ondo State recently have been tackled through the collaborative efforts of Amotekun and other security agencies, including the police, the DSS, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the Nigerian Army.
“Joint patrols of the forests by operatives of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, Amotekun, and Nigerian Army troops are still ongoing. These efforts have contributed significantly to the relative peace currently being enjoyed in Ondo State.
“Most importantly, we thank the Governor of Ondo State, Hon Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, for his unwavering support to members of the Ondo State Security Network Agency. At our last press briefing, I informed you that he promised the state government would pay 100 per cent of the contributions required for Amotekun operatives to benefit from the Orange Insurance Scheme.
“These payments have been made and the Orange Insurance Scheme covering Amotekun operatives and their immediate families is already in effect.
“We therefore thank the Governor for all he continues to do for Amotekun. Knowing fully well that he has prioritised the security of lives and property in Ondo State, we appreciate him for providing a conducive environment for us to work,”
