Mohammed Shosanya
Twenty one-year-old Simon Matthew, was Monday paraded at Amotekun Corps headquarters, Alagbaka, Akure, Ondo State capital, for stealing and drug peddling again.
He was just out of prison having completed a jail term on January 1, 2024 after he was convicted for similar crime
Seventy-two hours after leaving the correctional centre, he was arrested for the same crimes he went to jail for
Simon Matthew from Abakaliki, Ebonyi State was among the 29 crime suspects arrested in continuation of 24hours security patrol by Amotekun Corps with the support of other security agencies in the State during the Yuletide across all the 18 local government areas of the state .
The suspects were arrested for various crimes ranging from kidnapping to stealing of motorbikes.
Corps Commander of Amotekun, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye said: “The ex-convict claimed to be a drug dealer who also engaged in robbery activities. We equally have about four suspects that violated the anti-grazing law of the state.
“The ex-convict, Simon Matthew, claimed to be a drug barron dealer and had been convicted for drug and robbery activities and that was exactly what he did again.
“In the last one week, we were able to arrest 29 suspects that were involved in different forms of security breaches which ranges from kidnapping, armed robbery, house breaking, shop lifting, stealing of motorcycles among others.
“The same way, those that were involved in illegal possession of firearms and have been on our watchlist in the last five months were arrested with guns, locally made pistol with which they perpetrate evil .
“Towards the yuletide season, we made it clear that there was not going to be any major bank robbery, or robbery operation throughout.
“I want to thank officers of the the Amotekun Corps, the Police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), the DSS, and those that joined hands in ensuring that safety of lives and properties in Ondo State throughout the yuletide period was not compromised.”
Dismissing as spurious the report that bandits invaded Ondo community and overwhelmed operatives of the Amotekun Corps Adeleye said the purveyors of the report were plotting to dowse the morale of operatives of the formation.
He said: “It is so obvious that the said writer of the story did so for selfish gain of a certain quarter which the main intention was to dowse the morale of the Corps in the state over such mischievous write-up.
“We advise the general public to ignore such fake news and go about their legitimate businesses as the Akoko area of the state is safe for movement as the joint security agencies are fully on ground to ensure safety of lives and properties.
“As we talk now, the state is one of the safest. You will recall that early November will reassured members of the public that they are going to enjoy the Xmas and New Year holidays without fear of being molested. We placed it on record that there would not be bank robbery in Ondo state.
“So, I want to say that it was a cheap blackmail orchestrated by enemies of progress of the state and it is aimed at discrediting the Corps but we refused to be distracted.
“We will continue to serve our people and provide a quality security services that we are reputed for and it was what we all know that the 18 local government areas in Ondo state are safe from all these criminal activities. We refused to be distracted by the mischief-makers who are determined to rubbish the integrity of the Amotekun.”
