Tag: Amotekun

Men of the Ondo State Security Network codenamed Amotekun Corps have begun combing the forest of Akunu to rescue kidnapped passengers.

Kidnappers, on Friday evening, killed the driver of an 18-passenger bus and abducted all the passengers.at Ayere community in Kogi State, a border town with Ondo State.

Sources said a child was left behind inside the bus by the kidnappers.

Read Also: Why Ondo businessman reportedly killed wife, committed suicide

It was gathered that men of the Ondo Amotekun Corps, hunters and soldiers have stormed the forest with a bid to rescue the victims.

Ondo Amotekun Commander, Akogun Adeleye Adetunji, said operatives of the corps have been deployed to the area even though the incident happened in Kogi State.

The Ondo State Security Network codenamed Amotekun Corps has intercepted 149 suspects from various black spots in three local government areas.

The suspects, who were tucked inside trucks when they were arrested, said they were in Ondo State on a hunting expedition.

But Ondo Commander of Amotekun, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, who paraded the suspects, said there had been a  heavy influx of strange people into the state’s forest reserve areas.

Adeleye said the supposed  hunters were arrested around black spots where heavy robbery operations and kidnappings occurred.

He said the suspects carefully concealed their weapons, bags of Indian hemps and cutlasses under their vehicles.

“The pertinent question we are asking them, is “why are they hiding their guns”?

“If they are genuine hunters, why not come out openly? But one begins to wonder why they would come from the extreme parts of the country to hunt in a village, in a forest they have never been to before in Ondo state.

Read Also; Southern, Middle Belt leaders seek end to rising poverty, insecurity

“No doubt, as Nigerians, they have the right to go anywhere in the country, but they do not have the right to go with weapons.

“As hunters, we had expected that they would have made consultations to find out their limitations.

“In Ondo State Forestry reserves, the government is very clear, that if you are a hunter and want to go into the forest, you have to register, so that the government, the kings and the hunters will know that you are there.

“We want to appeal to commuters, that if you have any reason to do your legitimate business in Ondo State, please consult the relevant agencies and to our Baales, the Kabiyesis and the good people of the state, we can no longer tolerate this kind of people without mission, entering our forest areas.

“We have very strong reasons to believe that they are the people that turn to kidnappers, armed robbers and commit various crimes, especially in the bad portions of the roads and in the forest reserves of the state.

“When we finish the investigation, we will send them to relevant government agencies for detailed profiling and those that would be sent back to their states will be sent back. Those we find guilty of criminal intentions will be tried in the court of competent jurisdiction.”

Pan Yoruba socio-political organisation Afenifere has called on South West Governors to equip the Western Nigerian security Network codenamed Amotekun corps with modern equipment to fight insecurity in the region.

The group spoke on Tuesday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital during a condolence visit to Governor Biodun Oyebanji on the gruesome killing of two traditional rulers and abduction of school pupils and their teachers. 

The leader of the Afenifere delegation, Chief Korede Duyile, called for the restructuring of the country to tackle security and other challenges.

The Afenifere leaders affirmed the need to strengthen Amotekun with the necessary ammunition that would make the officers effective in tackling all forms of security infiltration into the region.

Read Also: How police, hunters, Amotekun rescued five pupils, teachers, kidnapped in Ekiti

He expressed the group’s appreciation for Oyebanji and commended the various steps he had taken to tackle the security challenges in the state, urging him to do more to protect the people.

Oyebanji, who commended the leadership of Afenifere for the visit to the State, described the gruesome killing of the two traditional rulers as sacrilegious and an affront to Ekiti people and the Yoruba race.

The Governor said he remained grateful to President, Bola Tinubu for staying on top of the situation, a development, which he said motivated everyone to put in their best in rescuing the children.

The Ondo State Security Network codenamed Amotekun Corps has intercepted 149 suspects from various black spots in three local government areas of the state.

The suspects, who were tucked inside trucks when they were arrested, said they were in Ondo state on a hunting expedition.

But Ondo Commander of Amotekun, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, who paraded the suspects, said there has been a heavy influx of strange people into the state’s forest reserve areas.

Akogun Adeleye said the acclaimed hunters were arrested around black spots where heavy robbery operations and kidnappings occurred.

He said the suspects carefully concealed their weapons, bags of Indian hemp and cutlasses under their vehicles.

He said: “The pertinent question we are asking them, is, “Why are they hiding their guns”?

“If they are genuine hunters, why not come out openly, one begins to wonder why they would come from the extreme parts of the country to hunt in a village, in a forest they have never been to before in Ondo state.

“No doubt, as Nigerians, they have the right to go anywhere in the country, but they do not have the right to go with weapons.

“As hunters, we had expected that they would have made consultations to find out their limitations.

“In Ondo State Forestry reserves, the government is very clear, that if you are a hunter and want to go into the forest, you have to register, so that the government, the kings, and the hunters will know that you are there.

He added: “However, we want to appeal to commuters that if you have any reason to do your legitimate business in Ondo state, please consult the relevant agencies and to our Baales, the Kabiyesis, and the good people of the State, we can no longer tolerate this kind of people without mission, entering our forest areas.

Read Also: How police, hunters, Amotekun rescued five pupils, teachers, kidnapped in Ekiti

“We have very strong reasons to believe that they are the people that turn at night to kidnappers, and armed robbers and commit various crimes, especially in the bad portions of the roads and in the forest reserves of the state.

“When we finish the investigation, we will send them to relevant government agencies for detailed profiling and those that would be sent back to their states will be sent back, but those we find guilty of criminal intentions will be tried in the court of competent jurisdiction.”

A member of the British Royal Air Force Opeyemi Falegan has offered to train the operatives of Western Security Network otherwise called ‘Amotekun’ on security management at no cost. 

Falegan, in a statement in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, stressed the need to equip the operatives of the Amotekun Corps with 21st century modern security techniques and sharpen their intelligence gathering skills.

This, the Ekiti-born security experts, said  would enhance their abilities to tackle all forms of criminalities before happening.

Falegan, who condemned the killings of two traditional rulers and abduction of some school children in Ekiti, said the solution to frequent attacks by bandits and kidnappers requires strengthening  the local intelligence. 

He called on the security agencies in the state to intensify more effort in rescuing the schoolchildren and their teachers as well bringing the perpetrators to book.

Read Also: Ondo Amotekun parades 31 suspects, deploy personnel in Ekiti

He said: ” Let me train the  Amotekun corps because I still believe in the local intelligence, recognition of the local and domestic intelligence which are the local vigilantes , working with them can give tips and other information about suspicious behaviour to uncover who might be involved and for what purposes.

” This issue of kidnapping should not be seen from the political angle rather as a matter that needs urgent attention.

”Ekiti state government should involve experts in this area, in giving the government adequate advice in bringing this problem to an end by offering myself and skills without cost as a security expert.

“Using modern day technology can play a huge role in reducing insecurity in the state, Equipment like drones, ground control stations, and compact biometric search-scan systems.”

The Western Nigeria Security Network (Amotekun Corps) in Ondo State says it has arrested 31 suspects for various alleged crimes across the 18 Local Government Areas of the state.

Mr Adetunji Adeleye, Commander of the Amotekun corps made this known while parading the suspects before newsmen on Wednesday in Akure.

Adeleye said that the suspects were arrested for offences including alleged kidnapping, illegal possession of firearms and those that specialised in breaking of shops and houses.

The commander said that the corps would not relent in it efforts in ridding the state of  criminal elements.

He also said that the government was resolute in its determination to ensure that investors, farmers, residents, and commuters  moved about freely in the state without apprehension of attacks by hoodlums.

Adeleye said that the Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa led government had directed heads of security agencies in the state to flush out criminals who have been disturbing the peace of the people.

“We want to reassure the good people of Ondo State that Amotekun is intact and we will continue our 24-hours patrol.

“We will continue to track all criminals from the cities to the forest reserves and ensure that travellers are not molested,” he said.

Read Also: Why we established Amotekun in southwest – Makinde

Adeleye also revealed that the command had deployed about 100 personnel to Ekiti State over the kidnapping incident that happened on Monday.

“A couple of hours ago, we had an unfortunate situation in Ekiti State and the Ondo State Governor directed that we should move to the state to assist in the security situation.

“We deployed about 100 personnel to Ekiti State to assist them and we have been there in the last 48-hours, some arrests have been made.

“And investigation is still ongoing on those that we arrested and we will continue to arrest until the perpetrators of such dastardly acts are fished out.

“So, the solution to this insecurity in the country, especially in the South-west, is for the Federal Government to put in place the grassroots state police,” he said.

(NAN)