Amotekun Arrests Two Suspected Kidnappers, Eight Others in Ondo

.DSS, Others rescue kidnap victim, neutralise two suspects in Imo

Fidelis David in Akure  and Amby Uneze in Owerri

The Ondo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun Corps, has arrested two suspected kidnappers and eight other suspects for various offences, including motorcycle theft, burglary, and armed robbery across the state.

The Commander of the Corps, Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed this yesterday while parading the suspects, saying the arrests were part of sustained efforts to rid the state of criminal elements and guarantee the safety of residents.

Adeleye also recounted the recent rescue of a woman and her two children from kidnappers in the Isinigbo/Osi axis, saying the operation was launched within minutes of receiving a distress call.

According to him, “I received a distress call directly from the Isinigbo/Osi area, and within five minutes, my men were there. After a brief scuffle with the kidnappers, we were able to rescue the woman and her two children from their claws.”

He said the cooperation of Fulani residents with the security operatives had also proved crucial in identifying suspected criminals within their community, stressing that such collaboration had helped security agencies avoid generalising criminality.

“The amazing part of this struggle is that the Fulani men who had joined us were the people who assisted us in identifying the kidnappers among them, so that we would not generalize it,” Adeleye said.

He disclosed that one of the suspects, identified as Murtala, 19, was arrested with a locally made firearm and other weapons after allegedly attempting to kidnap the wife of his former employer in Molege, Owo.

Adeleye said Murtala had confessed to several kidnapping activities and had targeted his former boss’s wife in his latest operation, but the attempt failed after the husband and others raised the alarm and mobilised security operatives.

“After perfecting the act, he was able to successfully enter the woman’s house where he wanted to kidnap her. However, the husband and other people woke up and ran away. They mobilised the Amotekun and the Fulani men, who cordoned off the area and were able to successfully apprehend him,” he stated.

The commander identified the other suspected kidnapper as 27-year-old Gambo, who was arrested behind Shasha in Akure while allegedly negotiating and discussing ransom with a prospective victim, unaware that Amotekun operatives and informants were monitoring him.

He added that the second suspect, according to his confession, was a serial kidnapper operating around the Akure North axis.

The remaining eight suspects, Adeleye explained, were arrested for various offences. Among them was Mustafa Aniliasu, who was allegedly involved in motorcycle theft and the burglary of churches and mosques, with his latest alleged operation taking place at a church in Elegbeka.

Two other suspects, Joseph, 25, and Friday, 20, were arrested for allegedly stealing and reselling motorcycles. Adeleye said one of them allegedly kept a stolen motorcycle and assisted in selling it for N70,000 despite the motorcycle being a new one.

He said another suspect identified as Duyilemi allegedly disguised himself as a commercial motorcycle operator, using daggers and knives to dispossess unsuspecting passengers of their belongings, adding that he was arrested in the Sango area of Akure North following a surveillance operation.

The commander said other suspects included Wahab, who was arrested for allegedly stealing drum sets in Danjuma on the Ondo Road section of Akure, and 28-year-old Aminu, who was arrested for allegedly burgling a church in the Sijuade area of the city.

Adeleye also disclosed the arrest of Kabiru, whom he described as a “serial housebreaker,” for allegedly stealing a gas cylinder. He said the suspect had previously been arrested and released on bail several times.

Giving an assessment of the security situation in Ondo State, Adeleye said criminal activities had recorded “a major and very drastic drop,” attributing the development to the sustained efforts and collaboration of security agencies across the state.

“This is a plus to all the security agencies working assiduously to stamp out criminality in the state,” he said.

The Amotekun commander reassured residents that security operatives would continue to intensify patrols and intelligence-led operations across the state, saying the ultimate goal was to ensure that residents could conduct their businesses without fear and return home safely.

“This further reassures residents that we, as security agencies, will continue to move around and ensure that they can go about their normal businesses without fear, as well as to return home safely,” Adeleye said.

Meanwhile, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in collaboration with other security agencies and local vigilantes have rescued a 29-year-old man, Ibeabuchi Adibenma, who was abducted by suspected kidnappers in Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State.

The victim was kidnapped at about 7 p.m. on August 18 around Afor-Ogidi Market in Isiala Amaifeke Community, while returning from the International Market in Umuna, Orlu.

In a statement issued by the DSS in Imo State last Friday, the assailants, reportedly operating on two motorcycles, were said to have intercepted and double-crossed the victim’s vehicle before forcing him to an undisclosed location.

Following the abduction, the kidnappers contacted the victim’s family and demanded a ransom of N15 million for his release.

However, in the early hours of August 20, security operatives launched a coordinated operation that led to the victim’s rescue at Ihioma community in Orlu.

Two suspected members of the kidnapping syndicate were neutralised during the operation, while two high-calibre weapons and ammunition were recovered.

The victim was subsequently taken into protective custody and reunited with his family.

The operation underscores the growing collaboration among security agencies and local vigilante groups in Imo State to disrupt criminal networks and prevent the state from becoming a haven for kidnappers and other violent criminals.

Security agencies have also intensified intelligence gathering, surveillance and joint operations across the state, with efforts ongoing to track down other members of the syndicate who remain at large.

The agencies have also urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly provide pieces of credible information that could assist ongoing efforts to prevent and combat kidnapping and other forms of violent crimes in the state.