The Ondo State Command of the Amotekun Corps has arrested 28 persons over alleged involvement in various criminal activities, including a father and his three sons accused of kidnapping a man in Oba Akoko, Akoko South-West Local Government Area.
The Commander of Amotekun Corps, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed this on Tuesday at the corps’ headquarters in Akure.
According to Adeleye, the suspects, Iliasu, 56, and his three sons, Usman, 33; Wahab, 27; and Yakubu, 18, had been on the agency’s trail since 2024 over suspected kidnapping activities in the Northern Senatorial District.
He said the suspects allegedly used cattle herding as a cover during their operations.
“There is a particular suspect that we have been trailing since 2024 over kidnapping activities in the Northern Senatorial District. I’m glad to let you know that the long arm of the law finally caught up with him during an operation we carried out in the last four days,” Adeleye said.
Adeleye said the victim was kidnapped while travelling to Oba Akoko, adding that the family had prepared and paid ransom without informing Amotekun or other security agencies.
He said the kidnappers refused to release the victim after receiving the ransom and threatened to kill him if the family reported the matter to Amotekun.
The family later informed Amotekun, leading to an operation that resulted in the arrest of the suspects.
“After collecting the ransom, they still refused to release the victim, which eventually prompted the family to report the case to the Amotekun office. We immediately swung into action. At the end of the day, we found that a father and his three sons were directly involved, using cattle as a cover,” he said.
According to Adeleye, the suspects attacked Amotekun operatives during the rescue operation, but the victim was freed.
He said the victim had been attacked and injured with knives and cutlasses before the rescue, sustaining injuries to his head, and was taken to a nearby hospital.
The operatives recovered over 75 per cent of the ransom paid, alongside drugs, alcoholic drinks, cigarettes and a blindfold believed to have been used on victims.
Adeleye also disclosed other arrests across the state, saying Musa and Aruna were arrested over alleged kidnapping-related offences in Owo.
He added that Mohammed, Tekasu, Rabi, Abubakar, Saibu, Kalij and Adamu were arrested with arms and as suspected bandits in a separate operation.
He said other suspects were arrested over alleged illegal possession of firearms, robbery and cultism, including Ayodele, 26; Oluwatobi, 24; and Michael, 34.
A suspect identified as Olagi was also arrested over alleged rape and theft.
Adeleye said Idowu and Taiwo were arrested in Akure South for alleged conspiracy and theft of a generator, while Olatunde, 39; Abdul, 27; and Amodu David were arrested over alleged conspiracy and theft of food items.
He added that Akpaba Felix, 30; Agbonuma Abigail, 25; Mak, 24; Kelvin, 24; Kuma, 27; and Tuk, 24, were arrested in Oke-Ijebu, Akure South, over alleged conspiracy and breach of peace.
Adeleye said the state government maintained a zero-tolerance stance on criminality, warning that criminals would have no hiding place in forests or towns.
“The Amotekun Corps has been strategically positioned across all parts of the state to ensure that commuters and residents can go about their lawful activities without molestation,” he said.
(The Whistler)