Ondo Amotekun Blocks Payment Of Ransom, Bursts Attempted Kidnaps

By Ayodele Oni

The South West security outfit, Amotekun Corps, has foiled the payment of ransom by kidnapped victims and rescued them in Ondo State.

The Ondo State Commander of Amotekun Corps, Adetunji Adeleye, told newsmen in Akure that this was one of the success stories of the security outfit within the past two weeks.

Adeleye, also, announced that 17 suspects were arrested and are, currently, assisting in getting to the root of the matter.

According to Adeleye, the latest rescue mission occurred within the last 24 hours, where a chief in a community close to Akure was kidnapped, and the Amotekun Corps, in collaboration with local hunters, pursued the kidnappers overnight and rescue the chief and an Okada rider without paying any ransom.

“The latest of this rescue mission took place in the last 24 hours, where a chief in a community close to Akure was kidnapped, and our distress line was contacted.

“With the joint efforts of the local hunters, and officers and men of Amotekun, we walked overnight, pursued the kidnappers, and were able to save the two of them, the chief and the Okada rider without payment of any ransom.

“Again, kidnappers in Akoko axis, the northern senatorial axis of the state, were arrested, while attempting to kidnap some victims along Ajegunle Road, and between 1 and 2 a.m, they ravaged their farms, raped their women, and ran away.

“Our tactical team moved in, under the leadership of the area commander of our Zone 6, and within 48-hours, the people were released, and three suspects identified as part of the gang were arrested.

“We have them here, both the victims and the suspects. The same thing goes to the central senatorial district, where some suspected kidnappers were arrested again by officers and men of the Amotekun Corps, and they had equally been identified.”

He said the Amotekun Corps has also arrested suspects involved in robbery and rape cases, with eight of them facing charges for breaking the law and order, three for kidnapping, and six for robbery and rape.

Adeleye emphasized the government’s stance against kidnapping for ransom in Ondo State, urging farmers to return to their farms and assuring them of the corps’ commitment to maintaining peace and security.

“What the government of Ondo State is saying is that we are saying no to kidnap for ransom in Ondo State. Herders are free to do their business, farmers are free to cultivate. Farmers will not infringe on the rights of the herders, while herders have no right to destroy people’s farm.

“So on farmers and herders clashes, even though this has reduced, we are saying the government does not want it to happen to prevent scarcity of food in the next season. We want farmers to go back to their farms.

“As we talk, the Amotekun Rangers are in the forest, and we want to thank the farmers and members of the public, the Hunters Association, and the Vigilante Groups for giving us timely information to work with.”