The Ondo State Security Network Agency, Amotekun Corps, on Monday raised the alarm over the upsurge of armed bandits hiding in the forest to perpetuate kidnapping in the border towns of the state.
The Commander of the corps, Mr Adetunji Adeleye, who spoke to journalists in Akure, attributed the surge in Ondo to the deployment of heavy security agencies, including men of the Nigeria Army to Ekiti, which witnessed the kidnapping of school pupils and killing of monarchs recently.
He said the bandits were leaving Ekiti through the forests, and entering Ondo as the presence of the soldiers in the neighbouring state continued to give them problems.
He explained that the operatives of Amotekun in the state are not resting, assuring residents that Ondo State would not be a haven for criminals most especially bandits.
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“The astonishing thing about our parade today is the sudden upsurge in the number of suspects that we have on kidnapping. About half of the 43 are suspected kidnappers that we have reasons to question.
“Those that we have reasons to quiz are the ones whose movements were suspicious and who could not explain where they were at the time of the arrest.
“So, I want to trace this (upsurge) 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 can never be a haven for criminals,” Mr Adeleye said.
The Amotekun Commander stressed that dangerous weapons nabbed with the suspects were enough evidence to show that the bandits are not also relenting despite the arrest made by the security agencies in the state.
