AKURE — Operatives of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, known as Amotekun, have rescued two teenage herders allegedly abducted in a forest area between Ondo and Edo states, recovering their family’s cattle and arresting two suspects.
The victims, identified as Abubakar Umaru and Abdullahi Umaru, had gone out to graze cattle near Owo, close to the Ondo-Edo boundary, but failed to return home by dusk. Their disappearance prompted their parents to alert Amotekun.
The Ondo Amotekun Commander, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, said the operation began with the recovery of the missing cattle before operatives traced the movement of the suspected kidnappers into a forest corridor linking Ondo and Edo states.
“When it became apparent that the boys had been kidnapped, we went deep into the forest, linking Ondo to Edo, into an area called Abuja Forest between Ondo and Edo in Owo Local Government,” Adeleye said.
According to him, the kidnappers fled on sighting the security team, leaving the boys behind. Two suspects were arrested during the operation.
Adeleye described the rescue as significant, saying the agency treated all victims equally, regardless of ethnic background.
“The Ondo State Security Network Agency does not discriminate. A criminal from Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa or Fulani is a criminal. We treat them as such,” he said.
The rescued teenagers later told security officials that they were forcefully taken away from their cattle and marched into a remote part of the forest before Amotekun operatives arrived.
Adeleye also disclosed that the corps recently paraded 97 suspects linked to kidnapping, robbery, burglary, vehicle hijacking, theft, violation of the anti-open grazing law and other offences across the state.
He said some suspects confessed to acting as informants and suppliers for kidnappers operating in forest areas. The commander also raised concern over what he described as new tactics by criminal groups, including suspects allegedly disguising themselves as mentally unstable persons to gather intelligence.
He said Amotekun had also uncovered syndicates that entered homes at night under false pretences before threatening occupants, forcing money transfers and stealing vehicles.
Adeleye credited the state’s relative security stability to cooperation among Amotekun, the police, army, Department of State Services, civil defence, local vigilantes and community groups.
He, however, said porous borders with neighbouring states remained a major challenge, especially in areas without similar regional security outfits.
He said joint patrols and forest clearance operations would continue to prevent criminals from using border communities as safe havens.
