The Ondo State Safety Community Company, also referred to as the Amotekun Corps, has arrested 28 individuals allegedly concerned in varied legal actions throughout the state.
Among the many suspects are a 56-year-old man recognized as Iliasu and his three sons — Usman, 33; Wahab, 27; and Yakubu, 18 — who have been arrested over the alleged abduction of a person in Oba Akoko, Akoko South-West Native Authorities Space of the state.
Talking on the corps’ headquarters in Akure, the state capital, on Tuesday, the Commander of the Amotekun Corps, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, alleged that the household had been concerned in kidnapping actions, utilizing cattle as a canopy for their operations.
Adeleye mentioned, “There’s a explicit suspect that we have now been trailing since 2024 over kidnapping actions in the Northern Senatorial District. I’m glad to let you realize that the lengthy arm of the regulation lastly caught up with him throughout an operation we carried out in the final 4 days.
“In the identical operation, the sufferer was kidnapped on his method to Oba Akoko, and the household promptly organized the ransom with out informing Amotekun. Regardless of paying the ransom, the abductors refused to launch the sufferer. “In addition they threatened the household to not report the incident.
“After accumulating the ransom, they nonetheless refused to launch the sufferer, which ultimately prompted the household to report the case to the Amotekun workplace. We instantly swung into motion. On the finish of the day, we discovered {that a} father and his three sons have been instantly concerned, utilizing cattle as a canopy.”
The Amotekun commander additional defined that in the course of the rescue operation, the suspects allegedly attacked the operatives, however the sufferer was efficiently rescued.
“Earlier than the rescue, that they had attacked the sufferer with knives and cutlasses, inflicting accidents to his head. We promptly rushed the sufferer to a close-by hospital and have been in a position to get well over 75 per cent of the ransom paid. We additionally recovered medicine, alcoholic drinks, cigarettes and what seemed to be a blindfold used to cowl the sufferer’s eyes,” he mentioned.
Itemizing different arrests, Adeleye mentioned Musa and Aruna have been arrested in reference to kidnapping-related offences in Owo.
“On armed banditry, we arrested Mohammed, Tekasu, Rabi, Abubakar and Saibu. We additionally arrested Kalij and Adamu throughout the identical operation. On unlawful possession of firearms, theft and cultism, we arrested Ayodele, 26; Oluwatobi, 24; and Michael, 34. On rape and stealing, we arrested Olagi.
“In Akure South, Idowu and Taiwo have been arrested for conspiracy and theft of a generator. Additionally in Akure South, Olatunde, 39; Abdul, 27; and Amodu David have been arrested in reference to conspiracy and theft of meals objects. On breach of peace, Akpaba Felix, 30; Agbonuma Abigail, 25; Mak, 24; Kelvin, 24; Kuma, 27; and Tuk, 24, have been arrested in Oke-Ijebu, Akure, for conspiracy and breach of peace,” he mentioned.
Adeleye reiterated that the state has zero tolerance for criminality.
“What we need to clarify is that there isn’t any hiding place for criminals, each in the forests and in the cities.
“The Amotekun Corps has been strategically positioned throughout all elements of the state to make sure that commuters and residents can go about their lawful actions with out molestation,” he mentioned.
