By Ayodele Oni
South Western Nigeria Security Network, code named Amotekun in Ondo State has revealed that there is an upsurge in the influx of kidnappers from Ekiti to Ondo State.
Commander of the security network in the State, Adetunji Adeleye, explained that this is as a result of ongoing security operation in Ekiti to flush out the hoodlums who have been terrorizing the State.
Recently, in a space of one week in Ekiti, two First Class Traditional Rulers were shot dead and school children abducted by suspected kidnappers. The scary situation necesitated massive deployment of soldiers, policemen and Amotekun operatives to comb Ekiti State.
Briefing newsmen in Akure on Monday, Adeleye disclosed that within a week of operation by Amotekun operatives in Ondo State, 43 suspected criminals half of which is presumed to be kidnappers were nabbed.
The Commander noted that “the astonishing thing about our parade today is the sudden upsurge in the suspects that we have on kidnapping. About half of the 43 are suspected kidnappers that we have reasonable reasons to question.
“We actually have over 50, but those that we have reason to question why they were where they were, and what we found of them around the things of kidnap across the state, are these 20 you are seeing today.
“I want to trace this to the heavy presence of security personnel in Ekiti and I want to believe that they are being driven to Ondo State, but we want to tell you that Ondo State can never be a safe haven for criminals.
“We have risen up to the challenge and all of them that we have picked in kidnap scenes, during kidnap, and during attempt to kidnap with credible victims around to identify some of them, are the ones we are parading today.
“We also have some that we arrested with local arms and ammunition and we’re not able to justify what they wanted to do with the arms and ammunition.”
On cases of house breaking in the state, Adeleye stated that “This week, we have a sharp decline in the number of housebreaking because we have commenced foot walk, especially on Sundays when people have gone to Church and during working hours when people are at work.
“We now walk and trek around the metropolis which I think this is one of the reasons we have a decline in the number of shop breaking.
“As against the backdrop of the sharp decline of herders destruction of farmland, in the northern part of the state, we have an increase in the number of herders farmers clashes and these are actually the areas where we have security breaches.
“We still have issues with security challenges on our borders especially the Kogi/Ondo border, Edo/Ondo border. We are working on it and collaborating.
“As at yesterday morning, a combined team of security men, specifically army from Kogi and Ondo, Police from Kogi and Ondo, and Amotekun from Ondo, joined hands together to try to fish out the perpetrators of the last kidnap around Akunu/Ayere axis in Kogi/Ondo.”
