Ondo State Government has raised the alarm that a group of terrorists, whose members are masquerading as herdsmen, are stockpiling arms and ammunition to invade the entire State.
The Commander of Amotekun corps in the state, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, told Daily Trust on Friday that they recorded a breakthrough by busting the operation of the cartel.
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Earlier in a statement, Adeleye said they were able to smoke out these criminal elements with the help of men of the Nigeria Army, Police and other sister agencies from their hideout in the forest.
The statement said men of Ondo State Security Network Agency, have again made another major breakthrough in their bid to get rid of criminal elements in the state.
“This cartel was piling up arms and ammunition to invade the entire state while masquerading as herders and using the forest as kidnappers’ den for negotiation and ransom, illegal mining activities, and cultivation of Indian hemp.
“The security outfits in conjunction with the police, the army and other security agencies in the state, however, smoked them out of the forest, after it was discovered that the bandits had killed a farmer and a member of the vigilante group in the area.
“They also went to the village where an Amotekun vehicle was parked and set it ablaze.”
Adeleye, however, denied a report that says a leader of the Amotekun corps who led an operation to Owo area is missing.
According to him, they went to the area following information that an attack had been carried out but when they got there the herdsmen had left the area after killing the vigilante operative.
He said the criminals also set ablaze the Amotekun operational vehicle before they returned to where it was parked.