The Ondo State Security Network Agency, popularly known as the Amotekun Corps, has arrested 53 suspects allegedly linked to various criminal activities across the state, including kidnapping, murder, cultism, robbery, rape and suspected illegal immigration.
The arrests were disclosed by the Commander of the corps, Adetunji Adeleye, on Monday while parading the suspects in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
Adeleye said the arrests formed part of the achievements recorded by the security outfit over the past two weeks following intensified intelligence gathering, surveillance and coordinated operations across identified criminal flashpoints in the state.
According to him, the operations were conducted in several communities and locations considered vulnerable to criminal activities, with the corps relying on information from residents and other stakeholders to identify and apprehend suspected offenders.
The Amotekun commander also disclosed that two kidnapped victims were rescued in the Akoko area during an operation carried out in collaboration with Fulani farmers and herders in the affected communities.
One of the rescued victims, Adeleye said, sustained severe injuries allegedly inflicted by his abductors.
“You can see the plaster; he is receiving medical attention in our facility here. In an attempt to kill him, they macheted his head, his body and every part of him. We brought him back alive and he is now stable,” he said.
During the operation, operatives reportedly recovered a military uniform from one of the suspected kidnappers. Adeleye also said members of the local Fulani community assisted the corps in identifying some of the individuals allegedly connected with the kidnapping activities.
The commander commended members of the community who, according to him, had refused to participate in criminal activities, urging them to continue providing security agencies with useful information.
“I want to thank those of them that refused to join the bad wagon of herders terrorising the state,” Adeleye said.
He said community cooperation remained critical to tackling kidnapping and other forms of violent crime, particularly in rural areas where residents could provide valuable information about the movements and activities of suspected criminals.
Adeleye further revealed that the corps had uncovered and arrested four members of an alleged self-kidnapping syndicate in Akure North Local Government Area.
The arrests followed what he described as a false alarm allegedly circulated on social media claiming that a man had been kidnapped.
According to the commander, preliminary investigation revealed that the individual who rushed to the Amotekun office to report the alleged abduction of his siblings was allegedly part of the scheme.
He reportedly led operatives to a house where the supposed kidnap victim was eventually found.
“Upon detailed investigation, we found out that the man who rushed to the Amotekun Corps office to report that his siblings were kidnapped turned out to be an accomplice. He led us to his home where we found the man they claimed had been kidnapped,” Adeleye said.
The commander also disclosed that four of seven suspects allegedly linked to kidnapping incidents around the Osi/Igboba axis of Akure North had been arrested. He said the arrests followed an earlier commitment by the corps to investigate and dismantle criminal networks operating in the area.
Other arrests, he said, included four suspects allegedly connected with kidnapping, robbery, attempted kidnapping and attempted murder around the Usi/Igboba axis.
Four additional suspects were arrested in Ogbese over alleged conspiracy and kidnapping, while three suspects were apprehended around Isua in Akoko South-East Local Government Area over alleged conspiracy and kidnapping.
The Amotekun commander said operatives also arrested suspects in connection with alleged murder, cultism and conspiracy in the Ode-Aye and Okitipupa areas.
One suspect was reportedly arrested in Odode-Idanre for alleged impersonation, while another was apprehended around the Ode-Aye/Okitipupa axis in connection with suspected cattle rustling.
Beyond violent crimes, Adeleye said the corps had also disrupted an alleged multimillion-naira diesel theft operation involving a construction company and quarry site along the Ondo Road in Akure.
According to him, operatives recovered more than 30 containers allegedly containing stolen diesel during the operation.
He identified three suspects allegedly considered major suspects in the diesel theft operation as James, 35; Dayo, 38; and Tomisin, 41.
Another suspect, identified as Ganius, was reportedly arrested in connection with a stolen Volkswagen Golf vehicle recovered within Akure.
The commander added that the corps recovered several other items suspected to have been stolen, including a Tiger generator, a TVS motorcycle, aluminium products, household equipment and electronic equipment allegedly belonging to a church.
Adeleye also raised concerns over what he described as the increasing presence of suspected illegal immigrants operating under different guises in some parts of Ondo State, particularly Owo.
He said 21 foreign nationals were arrested after allegedly renting two apartments in Owo while claiming to have arrived from neighbouring West African countries to engage in menial jobs and phone repairs.
According to Adeleye, the suspects allegedly lacked the necessary ECOWAS documentation required to establish their lawful stay in the country.
“We have directed them to the relevant sister security agencies for scrutiny. We found out that they don’t even have ECOWAS papers to guarantee their stay,” he said.
He explained that the suspects had been referred to appropriate security agencies for further screening and verification.
The commander subsequently warned landlords against renting properties to individuals without properly verifying their identities and relevant documentation.
He cautioned that property owners who knowingly provide accommodation to individuals involved in criminal activities could potentially face legal consequences.
Adeleye also expressed concern that foreigners who lose contact with their sponsors or support networks could become vulnerable to criminal exploitation.
“Most times when their sponsors abandon them, they become ready tools as criminals and accomplices,” he said.
The latest arrests, according to the Amotekun commander, demonstrate the corps’ intensified efforts to tackle criminal activities across Ondo State through intelligence-led operations and collaboration with local communities.
He urged residents to remain vigilant and continue sharing credible information with security agencies, stressing that community cooperation remains essential to preventing crime and protecting lives and property.
The suspects are expected to undergo further investigation, while those found to have committed offences will face prosecution in accordance with the law.
