Amotekun arrests 10 suspected criminals in Ondo

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The Ondo State Security Network Agency, also known as Amotekun Corps, has arrested 10 suspected criminals in different parts of the state.

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Two of the suspects were allegedly involved in the kidnapping of a woman and her two children, who were rescued by Amotekun operatives in the Osi/Isinigbo area of Akure North Local Government Area.

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Parading the suspects at the corps’ headquarters in Akure, the state capital, on Monday, the state commander, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, said the suspects were arrested for alleged involvement in kidnapping, stealing, motorcycle theft and burglary, among other offences.

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Adeleye said the arrests were made possible with the assistance of some members of the Fulani community in the affected areas.

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According to him, the suspects are Gambo, 27; Murtala, 19; Mustafa; Aniliasu; Joseph, 25; Friday, 20; Duyilemi; Wahab; Kabiru; and Aminu, 28.

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He said, “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, as you can see, 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 weapon, a locally made gun, from one of them.

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“One of the suspects confessed to having been involved in several kidnapping activities and said his latest victim was to have been his former boss in Molege, Owo.”

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He explained that the suspect allegedly entered the woman’s house after planning the kidnap, but the woman’s husband and others woke up and fled.

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He said they subsequently mobilised Amotekun operatives and members of the Fulani community, who cordoned off the area and apprehended the suspect.

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Adeleye added that the second suspect had also allegedly confessed to being a serial kidnapper operating in the Akure North axis.

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He said, “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.

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“On breakdown of law and order, there is this Mustafa 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.

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“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.”

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The Amotekun commander said the corps would continue to patrol the state and ensure that residents could go about their normal activities without fear and return home safely.

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