James Sowole in Akure
Men of the Ondo State Security Network Agency codenamed Amotekun Corps, have arrested four suspects over the burning of the corps’ operational vehicle and motorcycles.
The suspects whose identities were not released by the security outfit due to ongoing investigations were arrested in a forest reserve in Owo Local Government Area of the state.
The Commander of Amotekun Corps in the state, Chief Adetunji Adeleye disclosed this during a news conference in Akure, saying the suspects were also linked with the killing of a farmer and a member of the vigilante group in Ago Sanusi along Ute Road in Owo.
The operational vehicle of the security outfit and some motorcycles, were burnt by bandits, when Amotekun Corps were responding to a distress call at Ago Sanusi where a farmer and a member of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria were murdered by suspected herdsmen.
While disclosing that the arrested suspects were not herdsmen, Adetunji said the armed herders who were sighted in the forest took to their heels upon sighting his men.
He said: “We didn’t arrest any herder in Owo. The people arrested were people we suspected were connected to the arson, but we will look at it as murder and arson as well as wanton destruction of property. We arrested four within the first one hour of the incident there.
“On the issue of arrest, we arrested a number of suspects that are directly connected from the preliminary investigations with either kidnapping, illegal mining, armed robbery in the farmland and farm destruction.
“We are working on that and in the appropriate time, they will be handed over to the relevant security agencies for further investigations and prosecution where necessary.”
Meanwhile, the Amotekun boss has dispelled the rumour making the rounds that his men were killed during the operation in the forest reserve.
He also said the coordinator of the operation in Owo, Mr Sesan Adebayo was neither kidnapped nor missing as speculated.
