The Ondo State Security Network Agency, also known as Amotekun Corps, has arrested 39 suspects who allegedly fled Sokoto State and relocated to forest reserves in Ondo State.
The State Commander of Amotekun, Mr Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed this on Tuesday in Akure while parading the suspects alongside 22 others arrested for various criminal offences across the state.
According to Adeleye, the 39 suspects were apprehended at the Elegbeka axis of Ose Local Government Area, a known security flashpoint, following intelligence-led operations by the corps.
He said the suspects claimed they moved into the forests after a recent United States–backed military strike against ISIS-linked terrorists in Northern Nigeria.
“They were not trekking when we arrested them. They were hiding inside the forest, with their vehicles parked far away from their location,” Adeleye said.
He noted that Elegbeka has a long history of criminal activities, which informed the establishment of a permanent Amotekun control post in the forest to combat kidnapping and armed robbery.
Adeleye stressed that government regulations require anyone residing in forest areas to obtain official permits, adding that the sudden influx of people into the forests raised serious security concerns.
The commander said the suspects were arrested during the agency’s ember-month security operations, which involved multiple coordinated patrols across the state.
“As we conclude the ember-month patrol, we have arrested about 100 suspects in total, with 61 currently being paraded,” he said.
He gave a breakdown of the arrests, stating that 50 suspects were detained for breach of law and order, two for violations of the anti-open grazing law, six for kidnapping-related offences, and three for rape and other gender-based violence offences.
Adeleye said investigations were ongoing and that suspects found with incriminating materials would be prosecuted accordingly.