The Ondo State chapter of Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSN), codenamed Amotekun Corps, on Friday, paraded over 51 suspected criminals arrested in the State for various offences.
Those paraded by the Corps include a suspected armourer of kidnappers and suspected kidnappers who have been on the loose, terrorising different parts of the State.
Commander of the Corps, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, while parading the Suspects at the Command headquarters in Akure, the State capital, explained that the 51 suspected criminals were arrested in forests across the State for various offences.
Adeleye said 37 suspects were arrested for breaking law and order, six are major kidnap suspects, with one case of alleged abuse and rape.
The Corps Commander, who noted that the rate of crime and criminality has reduced in the state, said the proactive engagement of the Amotekun Rangers in the forest has help the Command to dismantle a kidnapping syndicate terrorising the state.
Confirming that the suspected armourer confessed to having participated in five major kidnap operations within the state, the Amotekun boss said, “We have a 21-year-old Lugag, a 40-year-old Andrew, a 30-year-old Eze Chinedu, and Ime, Yahaya, and their local collaborator, Seun.
“They are all suspected kidnappers. On human trafficking, we have one Ibrahim, 42, and we have one Agu Joseph, who is a jailbird that actually escaped from the Okitipupa custodial centre to commit another crime, where Amotekun operatives picked him up.
“On attempted robbery, we have Kehinde, 30 years old, Folarin, 36, and their collaborators, Aliu and Lukman, 28 and 25 years, respectively. As part of that robbery gang, we also have Mada, 25 years old.
“On the rape victim, we have Amos Kingsley, 29, and on the anti-open grazing violation in Akure North and Pelebe, Akure area, we were able to arrest Liman and Abubaka.”
Furthermore, he said, “On an anti-open grazing violation, we arrested Isa, 50. We have one Sadiq, 27, who was granted administrative bail in the court where the prosecution was supposed to have been going on.
“He ran away out of the state. We were able to set up trackers to bring him back. And we have one Sani, Joshua, and Pelumi, who specialised in breaking into people’s houses.
“Those that pretend to be hawkers and picking metals, but they are actually collaborators and information gathering agents of kidnappers and robbers, we have a David Abdul, 22, Abdullai, 27, Sani, 22 years old, Ahmed, 26, Emma, 20, Dayo, the local collaborator, 27, Marcello Buhari, 25, all in the business of pretending to be picking metals on dump sites when they are actually breaking, stealing generators, stealing equipment, breaking into people’s houses.”
Going forward, the Amotekun Commander said, “These 51 suspects have gone through various stages of interrogation, and about 35 of them will be going to the court of competent jurisdiction today (Friday) for their arraignment”.
