The Ondo State Security Network Agency, also known as Amotekun Corps, has arrested two suspected kidnappers who allegedly abducted four travellers along the Owo/Benin Expressway in the Ose Local Government Area of the state.
The incident happened barely 72 hours after the corps paraded 27 suspected criminals arrested across the state. After the latest arrest of the hoodlums, the corps rescued four victims.
Speaking on the development, the Commander of the Corps, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, while parading the suspects at the command’s headquarters in Akure, the state capital, on Thursday, said he personally led the operatives in collaboration with some local hunters to arrest the suspected kidnappers and rescue the victims.
According to the commander, the suspects had been terrorising farmers and commuters plying the Elegbeka/Ifon on the Owo-Benin Expressway and had collected a ransom of N1.2 million from some victims in August.
He said, ” The suspects engaged the operatives of Amotekun in a gun battle before they were captured alive. A day before the rescue, there was a reported kidnapping along a well-known route. Our team swiftly mobilised and, in collaboration with local hunters, we combed the forest where the victims were believed to be held. By the end of the day, we successfully rescued four people.
“What made this operation particularly significant was the identification of two of the arrested suspects. These are no longer suspected kidnappers—they are confirmed kidnappers.”
The Amotekun boss added that the victims identified the suspects as the same individuals responsible for previous abductions in the area, saying, “These criminals had been arrested before but somehow managed to return to the same locality. Now, we have them again.”
“The criminal tactics used by the kidnappers are that one of the bandits blocked a portion of the road with a vehicle, forcing commuters to slow down and making them vulnerable to ambush. Another suspect was identified by one of them who extorted N1.2 million in ransom from a family in August. The same individual had demanded N20 million this time but we apprehended him at the scene before the ransom could be paid.
“This arrest sends a strong message: there is no hiding place for kidnappers in Ondo State anymore. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that these criminals are brought to justice and that our communities remain safe,” Adeleye stated.
Amotekun is a security outfit based in all six states of South Western, Nigeria, responsible for curbing insecurity in the region.
