The Ondo State Security Network Agency popularly known as Amotekun Corps, says its operatives have arrested 39 suspects who allegedly fled Sokoto and relocated to forest reserves in Ondo following recent military operations against terrorists in northern Nigeria.
Adetunji Adeleye, the state commander of Amotekun, announced the arrest in Akure, the Ondo capital, on Tuesday while parading the suspects alongside 22 others arrested for various criminal offences across the state.
Adeleye said the 39 suspects were apprehended at the Elegbeka axis of Ose LGA, a known security flashpoint where the Olufon of Ifon was murdered several years ago.
According to him, the suspects claimed they moved into the forests after a United States–backed military strike targeted ISIS terrorists in the northern part of the country.
“A couple of days ago, the 39 suspects were arrested together at Elegbeka. They said they relocated to Ondo forests due to the military strike in the north,” Adeleye said.
He described Elegbeka as a long-standing hub for criminal activity, noting that the situation informed Amotekun’s decision to establish a permanent control post within the forest to curb kidnapping and armed robbery.
“For anyone to stay in our forest areas, the government has made it clear that such a person must obtain permits. The sudden influx of these elements raises serious security concerns,” the commander added.
Adeleye said the suspects were not trekking when they were arrested but were hibernating inside the forest, with their vehicles parked far from their hideouts.
“We trapped them and brought them together. We are still profiling them, and anyone found with incriminating materials will be prosecuted,” he said.
He explained that the arrests were part of Amotekun’s ongoing ember-month security operations, which involve coordinated deployments across four major operations in the state.
“As we round off the ember-month patrol, which ends tomorrow, we have arrested about 100 suspects, out of which 61 are being paraded today,” Adeleye said.
He provided a breakdown of the offences, stating that 50 suspects were arrested for breach of law and order, two for violations of anti-open grazing laws, six for kidnapping-related offences, and three for rape and gender-based violence.
