Key points
- The Ondo State Security Network Agency says it arrested 98 suspected criminals during operations across the state.
- Suspects were linked to kidnapping, robbery, drug trafficking, and other criminal activities.
- Amotekun uncovered what it described as a tactic where suspects disguised themselves as mentally unstable persons to evade suspicion.
- Authorities said some suspects allegedly acted as informants for kidnapping gangs.
- The agency also confirmed the rescue of a kidnapped couple without payment of ransom.
Main story
The Ondo State Security Network Agency has announced the arrest of 98 suspected criminals, including individuals allegedly disguising themselves as mentally unstable persons to facilitate criminal operations across the state.
The State Commander of Amotekun, Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed this while parading the suspects at the agency’s headquarters in Ondo State.
According to the security outfit, the suspects were apprehended during coordinated operations conducted in different parts of the state and were linked to offences including kidnapping, armed robbery, drug trafficking, and public disturbance.
Adeleye alleged that some suspects adopted disguises as mentally unstable individuals in order to avoid attracting attention while carrying out illegal activities.
The commander explained that investigations revealed the suspects allegedly used the cover to gather intelligence, traffic drugs, and coordinate robbery and kidnapping operations.
He further disclosed that 60 of the arrested suspects are currently facing prosecution in court, while 38 cases were resolved through the Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanism.
The agency also revealed that 13 additional suspects remain under investigation and could face prosecution after ongoing inquiries are concluded.
Amotekun additionally recounted the rescue of a kidnapped couple in the Iluwabu community, stating that operatives successfully freed the victims without payment of ransom following overnight operations in nearby forests.
The issues
The development highlights growing concerns over kidnapping, organised crime, and evolving criminal tactics within parts of Ondo State and the wider South-West region.
Security agencies have repeatedly warned that criminal groups displaced from northern parts of the country are increasingly attempting to establish hideouts in forested areas across southern states.
The revelation that some suspects allegedly disguised themselves as mentally unstable persons has also raised concerns about how criminal networks adapt to evade surveillance and security profiling.
Authorities say stronger intelligence gathering and inter-agency collaboration are becoming increasingly critical in combating kidnapping, robbery, and drug-related crimes.
The Ondo State Government and security agencies have continued to intensify joint security operations involving Amotekun, the police, military, DSS, and civil defence corps in a bid to contain criminal activities.
What’s being said
“Our intelligence and undercover officers tracked their movements to locations where they charged phones, changed clothes, and planned operations before they were eventually arrested,” Adeleye said.
“We successfully reunited the couple with their family without ransom payment or negotiation,” the Amotekun commander stated.
“Our forests can no longer serve as safe hideouts for criminals. Security agencies are working together to safeguard lives and property,” Adeleye stressed.
What’s next
Security agencies are expected to continue investigations into the suspects already arrested, while additional prosecutions may follow in cases still under review.
Joint security operations across forests and identified criminal flashpoints in Ondo State are also likely to intensify as authorities attempt to dismantle kidnapping and robbery networks.
Residents have meanwhile been urged to continue providing intelligence to security agencies to aid ongoing operations.
Bottom line
The latest arrests by Amotekun underscore mounting security concerns in Ondo State, while also revealing how criminal groups are allegedly adopting unconventional disguises and tactics to evade detection amid intensified anti-crime operations.
