The Ondo State Security Network Agency, Amotekun Corps, has arrested 39 suspects who reportedly fled Sokoto State and took refuge in forest reserves within Ondo.
State Commander of Amotekun, Mr. Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed this on Tuesday in Akure during the parade of the 39 suspects, alongside 22 others apprehended for various criminal activities in the state.
Adeleye said the suspects allegedly fled to Ondo following a recent United States–backed military operation targeting ISIS terrorists in northern Nigeria.
“A couple of days ago, the 39 suspects were apprehended together at the Elegbeka axis in Ose Local Government Area, a notorious security flashpoint where the Olufon of Ifon was murdered some years ago. They claimed they relocated into the forests due to the strike on them in the northern part of the country,” he said.
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He added that Elegbeka has long been a hotspot for criminal activities, prompting Amotekun to establish a permanent control post in the forest to curb kidnapping and armed robbery. “For anyone to stay in our forest areas, the government has made it clear that such a person must obtain permits. The sudden influx of these elements raises serious questions,” Adeleye said.
The commander revealed that the suspects were not on the move when arrested but were found hibernating in the forest, with their vehicles parked far from their hideouts. “We trapped them and brought them together. We are still profiling them, but those found with incriminating materials will surely be prosecuted,” he said.
Adeleye noted that the arrests are part of the agency’s ember-month security operations, which deploy officers across four major operations in Ondo State. “As we round up the ember-month patrol, which ends tomorrow, we have arrested about 100 suspects, out of which 61 are on parade today,” he said.
He provided a breakdown of the offences, stating that 50 suspects were arrested for breach of law and order, two for anti-open grazing violations, six for kidnapping-related offences, and three for rape and gender-based violence.