The Ondo State Security Network, codenamed Amotekun, paraded no fewer than 51 suspected criminals in the state for various offences on Friday.
Among those paraded were one of the armourers of kidnappers and suspected kidnappers who have been terrorising different parts of the state.
Parading the suspects at the command headquarters in Akure, the state capital, the commander of the Corps, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, informed that men of the command arrested the suspected criminals in the state’s forests for various offences.
Adeleye hinted that 37 suspected criminals were arrested for breaking the law and order, six for kidnapping and one for abuse and rape.
While informing that there had been a reduction in crime and criminality in the state, the corps commander disclosed that as a result of the activities of the Amotekun Rangers in the forest, the command has been able to dismantle a kidnapping syndicate terrorising the state.
Adeleye said the suspected armourer confessed to having participated in five major kidnap operations within the state.
“We have a 21-year-old Lugge, a 40-year-old Andrew, a 30-year-old Eze Chinedu, and Ime, Yahaya and their local collaborator, Seun – all suspected kidnappers. On human trafficking, we have one Ibrahim, 42, and one Agu Joseph, who is a jailbird that actually escaped from the Okitipupa custodian centre to commit another crime, where Amotekun operatives picked him up.
“On attempted robbery, we have Kehinde, 30; Folarin, 36, and their collaborators, Aliu and Lukman, 28 and 25 years, respectively. As part of that robbery gang, we also have Mada, 25.
“On the rape victim, we have Amos Kingsley, 29, and on the anti-open grazing violation in Akure North and Pelebe, Akure area, we were able to arrest Liman and Abubakar.
“On an anti-open grazing violation, we arrested Isa, 50. We have one Sadiq, 27, who was granted administrative bail in the court where the prosecution was supposed to have been going on.
“He ran away from the state; we were able to set up trackers to bring him back, and we have Sani, Joshua and Pelumi, who specialise in breaking into people’s houses,” he said.