The Ondo State Security Network Agency, also known as Amotekun, has arrested four suspected terrorists allegedly linked to armed robbery, kidnapping and destruction of property in parts of the state. The suspects have been handed over to the Department of State Services for further interrogation and possible prosecution.
Commander of the Ondo Amotekun Corps, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed this while briefing journalists on recent joint security operations carried out across the state. He said the arrests followed intensified intelligence gathering and coordinated raids launched in response to a rise in violent crimes over the past eight months.
“Through credible intelligence and sustained operations, our operatives were able to track and dismantle criminal networks responsible for insecurity in parts of the state,” Adeleye said.
According to him, the arrested suspects belonged to a gang responsible for several violent attacks. He said the group’s leader allegedly received instructions from outside Ondo State, a development he described as sensitive and requiring deeper investigation by the DSS.
“During a fierce operation, Amotekun operatives disrupted the gang’s supply chain and arrested other members,” he said. “The group leader that takes directives from somewhere outside the state was apprehended.”
Adeleye said the suspects confessed to crimes connected to recent insecurity in the state, including attacks on residents and destruction of property. He explained that the nature of the alleged offences informed the decision to transfer them to a sister security agency for further action.
The Amotekun commander also assured residents that security operatives had dismantled several criminal enclaves in forest areas across the state. He said joint operations involving Amotekun, the police, army, DSS and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps were ongoing to clear criminal elements from Ondo’s forest corridors, many of which connect with neighbouring states.
Ondo has previously relied on joint security operations involving Amotekun, police, NSCDC and DSS to address kidnapping, robbery and other violent crimes across the state. In March, similar joint operations led to the arrest of 61 suspected criminals, according to reports. Adeleye said the agency was now placing greater emphasis on prosecution, not merely arrests. He disclosed that 142 suspects arrested in the last month for kidnapping, anti-grazing violations, farmers-herders clashes and cultism had already been charged to court.
He added that 64 other suspects were undergoing profiling, with those found culpable expected to face prosecution, while minor or civil-related cases may be handled through alternative dispute resolution.
