No fewer than 95 suspected criminals have been arrested in the ongoing forest search by security agencies in Ondo State, especially Ondo State Security Network otherwise known as Amotekun Corps.
The Corps Commander of Amotekun Corps, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed this while parading 34 out of the total suspects arrested in the state.
According to him, the arrests were results of joint operations by all security agencies in the state in the ongoing combing of the forest in Akure North Local Government Area of the state where there had been incessant incidents of kidnapping.
He said the search were jointly carried out by the Police, the Civil Defence, the DSS, the Nigerian Army and the Amotekun Corps.
He expressed confidence that kidnap incident in the local government would stop having arrested a number of the perpetrators.
He disclosed that 61 other suspects were caught around the troubled zone and currently undergoing profiling.
He said: “Today, a total of 95 suspected criminals on ground. 61 of these 95 are not physically on this parade ground because they were caught in suspect, especially around the troubled Akure North Zone.
“In the last few weeks, there have been concerted efforts of all security agencies in the state, especially the Amotekun, the police, the civil defence, and the DSS, the Army in tracking the suspected criminals. And I want to say that it had actually yielded very good results.
“The 61 arrested, found inside the trailer truck you see on the other side of this parade ground, are the suspected men that we are still profiling to determine what exactly would happen after profiling them.
“In all, we have 19 that breached the law and order of the state. We have three on anti-grazing farmers’ herders related issues. And we have 12 that are kidnapping related.
“The good news is that some of the kidnap related suspects were arrested in the restive Akure North area, and we believe this will translate to peace in the area, especially by the joint operation currently going on.
“On kidnapping related cases, we have Victor 31, Jonathan 34, Akpan 35, Aliu 27, Sanni 20, Adeoye 44, Ayodeji 50, Abdullahi 24, Doman 25, Isaac 20, Peter 25, and Dada 42.
“These people were arrested in Iluabo Akure, Idogun-Ugbe, Alagbaka area, Ayede Akure, Iloro camp, and Ogbese.
“Some of these, Donald, Isaac, and Peter were arrested around the Akure North Airport axis on kidnap related issues, and they are being investigated on the same.”
A cattle rustler, Ali Abubakar, who stole 50 cows, has also been arrested by Amotekun Corps.
He confessed to the crime, and promised to return those he’s yet to dispose from where he hid them
“We have Ali Abubakar, who confessed to stealing 50 cows belonging to a fellow Fulani man. We apprehended him, he’s here with us, and he has promised that some of the cows are still somewhere, and he’s willing to bring back a few remaining out of it,” Akogun Adeleye said.