The Ondo State Amotekun Corps rescued a woman and her two children from kidnappers in the Isinigbo/Osi area, while separate operations led to the arrest of eight others and the recovery of a locally made firearm.
The State Commander, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed this while parading 10 suspects in Akure, saying the arrests and rescue were achieved through intelligence-led operations and collaboration with local residents.
Adeleye said the rescue occurred a few days before the parade after he received a distress call from the Isinigbo/Osi area.
According to him, Amotekun operatives arrived at the scene within five minutes and engaged the kidnappers in a brief scuffle before rescuing the woman and her two children.
“After a brief scuffle with the kidnappers, we were able to rescue the woman and her two children from the claws of the kidnappers,” he said.
The commander said two of the 10 suspects paraded were allegedly involved in kidnapping, identifying them as Gambo, 27, and Murtala, 19.
He said Gambo was arrested behind Shasha in Akure while allegedly negotiating a ransom with his associates, unaware that Amotekun operatives and informants were monitoring him. Adeleye described Gambo as a suspected serial kidnapper operating in the Akure North axis.
He said Murtala, the second suspect, was arrested in Molege, Owo, with a locally made firearm and other weapons while allegedly attempting to kidnap the wife of his former employer.
According to Adeleye, Murtala had previously worked for the woman’s husband and allegedly gained access to the residence while attempting to carry out the abduction.
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He said the woman’s husband and other occupants woke up and raised the alarm, prompting them to mobilize Amotekun operatives and Fulani residents in the area. The group subsequently cordoned off the area and apprehended the suspect.
Adeleye said Murtala confessed to several kidnapping operations and disclosed that the attempted abduction of his former employer’s wife was his latest operation.
The commander also highlighted the role of Fulani residents in the operation, saying they assisted the corps in identifying the suspected kidnappers among them.
He said the cooperation was important in preventing security agencies from generalizing criminality against the Fulani community. “We were able to recover a locally made weapon, a locally made gun, from one of them,” Adeleye said.
The commander said the remaining eight suspects were arrested for various offences, including motorcycle theft, robbery, church burglary and housebreaking.
He specifically identified one of the suspects, Mustafa Aniliasu, as a person allegedly involved in stealing motorcycles and burgling churches and mosques.
According to Adeleye, Aniliasu’s latest alleged offence was the burglary of a church in Elegbeka, where he was subsequently arrested by the corps.
Adeleye said the operations had contributed to what he described as a “major and very drastic drop” in criminal activities across Ondo State.
He assured residents that security agencies would continue to patrol communities and conduct intelligence-driven operations to protect lives and property.
“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 and return home safely,” he said.
Sunshine Truth
