Operatives of the Ondo State Security Network, Amotekun Corps, have arrested two suspected kidnappers while they were negotiating ransom for a mother and her two children abducted along the Isinigbo/Osi area of Akure North LGA.
The suspects, identified as Gambo, 27, and Murtala, 19, were tracked to their location through the victims’ phone during the negotiation.
Parading 10 suspects on Monday at the Corps headquarters in Alagbaka, Akure, the Corps Commander, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, said the two confessed to the crime and admitted to being serial kidnappers in the state.
He added that efforts are ongoing to rescue the victims unhurt and arrest other members of the gang.
He disclosed that the operatives were assisted by some Fulani men, who are into legitimate businesses in the state, to identify the suspects.
Adeleye said: “We have a session that has to do with the latest rescued kidnap victims, which happened a couple of days ago.
“I received a distress call directly from the Isinigbo/Osi area, and within five minutes, my men were there. After a brief scuffle with the kidnappers, we were able to rescue the woman and her two children from the claws of the kidnappers.
“Again today, we are parading a total of 10 suspects, two of whom are kidnappers. The amazing part of this struggle is that the Fulani men who had joined us were the people who assisted us in identifying the kidnappers among them, so that we would not generalise.
“We were able to recover a locally made gun from one of them.
“He also confessed to several kidnapping activities and said his latest victim was to have been his former boss in Molege, Owo.
“He said that after perfecting the act, he was able to successfully enter the woman’s house where he wanted to kidnap her.
“However, the husband and other people woke up and ran away. They mobilised the Amotekun operatives and the Fulani men, who cordoned off the area and were able to successfully apprehend him.
“The second suspect also confessed to being a serial kidnapper operating in the Akure North axis. So, we have eight others who violated the existing law and order in the state, while we have two active kidnappers.
“Starting with the two kidnappers, Gambo, 27, was negotiating and discussing ransom, not knowing that Amotekun men and some of our informants were around. We were able to arrest him eventually behind Shasha in Akure.
“Murtala, 19, was arrested with the locally made firearm and other weapons, and we equally apprehended him. He was the person who was coming to kidnap the wife of his former boss, whom he had previously worked for.”
Speaking on the other eight suspects, Adeleye disclosed that among them are two motorbike snatchers and church burglar who was arrested with drum sets.
He said: “On law and order, there is this Mustafa Aniliasu, who specialises in stealing motorcycles and burgling churches and mosques. The latest of his acts was when he burgled a church in Elegbeka. We were able to arrest him.
“We also have Joseph and Friday, aged 25 and 20 respectively, for stealing and reselling stolen motorcycles. One of them is an accomplice who kept the stolen motorcycle and assisted in selling it for N70,000, despite it being a new motorcycle.
“Also, on motorcycle theft, there is this Duyilemi, who poses as an Okada rider in the evening. He rides the motorcycle with daggers and knives, and while unsuspecting commuters are travelling with him, he stops them, throws them off the motorcycle and collects everything they have.
“He had carried out the act on a number of people before Amotekun laid siege for him. We were able to arrest him in the Sango area of Akure North.
“There is also Wahab, who was arrested for stealing drum sets in Danjuma, along the Ondo Road section of Akure. Aminu was also arrested for burgling a church in the Sijuade area. Aminu is 28 years old.
“The last of them, Kabiru, is a serial housebreaker. He has been arrested and punished several times, but has repeatedly been released on bail. He was arrested this time for stealing the gas cylinder that we have here.”
He assured that the security situation in the state has improved drastically.
He added: “Looking at the general assessment of the security situation in the state, we found that there has been a major and very drastic drop in criminal activities in the state. This is a plus to all the security agencies working assiduously to stamp out criminality in the state.
