Amotekun Apprehends 21 Suspects for Kidnapping, Stealing in Ondo
Fidelis David in Akure
The Ondo State Security Network Agency codenamed Amotekun has arrested 21 suspects for various criminal offences within two weeks.
The State Commander of the Corps, Adetunji Adeleye, said those arrested include four suspected kidnappers, five herders alleged of violating the anti-open grazing law, and 12 others charged with a range of offences including theft, assault, and attempted murder.
He said: “Today we are parading 21 suspects that have breached peace in various parts of the state in the last fortnight. We are rounding up the Yuletide 24-7 patrol and we are concentrating more on the ‘Armot Rangers’ as a result of the increasing rate of security breaches on our forests.
“Across the board we have four kidnapped suspects, five that violated the anti-open grazing law and 12 that breached the general law and order of the state. The implication of this after due analysis is that the state is relatively peaceful.
“The security breaches we have ranges from suspected kidnapper, fighting and civil disorder, wandering, anti-grazing, stealing of phones and attempted murder, stealing of aluminum products, destruction of properties, conspiracy and stealing of motorcycles, conspiracy, stealing and aiding and abetting of motorcycles.”
Adeleye said the corps arrested a notorious suspect who allegedly used a rod and pestle to knock unsuspecting Okada riders unconscious and steal their motorcycles in Irele axis.
“One of the suspects here was arrested with a pestle. What they do is that he carries it (like you can see it on display) and hits the unsuspecting Okada rider in the head from the back and disposes him of the Okada.”
He said the corps also apprehended a boy with handcuffed, whose undisclosed captivity is now the subject of investigation to determine which security agency may have been involved in his initial detention.
“We equally arrested one of them that we found handcuffed on his hand and we’ve been trying to question and investigate which of the agencies owns the handcuff.
“We would continue to intensify our investigation to determine exactly where he escaped. All he told us was that he escaped from custody but he was not able to tell us which of the security agencies arrested him. He was actually trying to cut the handcuff when we arrested him.
“We equally have those that violated the anti-open grazing law. Going into the details, we have one Moses, Loki, Yakubu and Mohammed as suspected kidnappers. Actually, two of these suspects set up the call.”
Besides, Adeleye said undisclosed number of Amotekun officers from across the South West would be deployed to prevent movement of bandits who fled from military operations in the north from attacking the South-west zone.
