Amotekun Arraigns 142, Hands over Four Suspected Terror Gang Members to DSS in Ondo

Fidelis David in Akure

No fewer than 142 suspected criminals have been prosecuted in Ondo State within the last one month, while 64 other suspects are currently undergoing profiling, as operatives of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, popularly known as Amotekun, intensify efforts to dismantle criminal networks across the state.

The Commander of the corps, Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed this while briefing journalists at the weekend on recent security operations, revealing that four members of a notorious gang linked to armed robbery, kidnapping, and violent attacks that destabilised parts of the state over the last eight months had been arrested and handed over to the Department of State Security Services (DSS).

Adeleye said the arrests marked a breakthrough in the state’s fight against rising criminal activities, stressing that the suspects had already confessed to several criminal operations carried out across the state.

“In the last month, we concluded the case files and successfully transferred about 142 suspects to courts of competent jurisdiction, ranging from those arrested for kidnapping, anti-grazing violations, farmers’ clashes, and cultism,” he said.

He added that the corps was deliberately shifting its operational focus from mere arrests to ensuring that offenders face prosecution.

“We are shifting attention from the number of suspects arrested to the number of suspects being prosecuted. All these are going through the normal processes of prosecution in the various courts where their cases were transferred,” he said.

On the four suspected gang members, Adeleye disclosed that intelligence-led operations by Amotekun operatives led to the dismantling of their network and supply lines.

According to him, the gang leader, who allegedly took directives from outside Ondo State, was apprehended alongside other members during what he described as a fierce operation.

Four members of the gang were arrested, and they have been handed over to the Directorate of State Security Services. They confessed to having commenced the operation, and the result of their operation is the instability that the state witnessed in the last eight months,” he said.

The Amotekun boss explained that the state’s expansive forest belt, which spans six local government areas and shares boundaries with three neighbouring states, has posed serious security challenges.

He, however, disclosed that a joint security clearance operation involving Amotekun, the police, the Nigerian Army, DSS, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps had commenced to flush out remaining criminal elements.

According to him, “The joint team of all security agencies in the state has commenced a massive clearance operation so that all these criminal elements can be driven away from our forest areas. This will ultimately translate to better security for our society.”

Adeleye also disclosed that 64 additional suspects are currently being profiled, assuring the state that those found culpable would face prosecution, while minor civil-related disputes may be resolved through alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.