Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
The Ondo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun Corps, has arrested 28 suspects for various offences across the state, including a father and his three sons accused of kidnapping in Akoko South-West Local Government Area.
Speaking in Akure on Tuesday, the Commander of the Amotekun Corps, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, said the suspects, identified as Iliasu, 56, and his sons, Usman, 33, Wahab, 27, and Yakubu, 18, were linked to the abduction of a man travelling to Oba Akoko.
According to Adeleye, the suspects had been under surveillance since 2024 over alleged kidnapping activities in the Northern Senatorial District.
“There is a particular suspect that we have been trailing since 2024 over kidnapping activities in the Northern Senatorial District. I’m glad to let you know that the long arm of the law finally caught up with him during an operation we carried out in the last four days,” he said.
He alleged that the family used cattle-rearing as a cover for criminal operations and initially escaped detection after the victim’s relatives paid a ransom without informing security operatives.
“In the same operation, the victim was kidnapped on his way to Oba Akoko, and the family promptly arranged the ransom without informing Amotekun. Despite paying the ransom, the kidnappers refused to release the victim. They also threatened the family not to report the incident.
“After collecting the ransom, they still refused to release the victim, which eventually prompted the family to report the case to the Amotekun office. We immediately swung into action. At the end of the day, we found that a father and his three sons were directly involved, using cattle as a cover.”
Adeleye said the victim was rescued despite resistance from the suspects, who allegedly attacked operatives during the operation.
“Before the rescue, they had attacked the victim with knives and cutlasses, inflicting injuries to his head. We promptly rushed the victim to a nearby hospital and were able to recover over 75 per cent of the ransom paid. We also recovered drugs, alcoholic drinks, cigarettes and what appeared to be a blindfold used to cover the victim’s eyes,” he added.
The commander also announced the arrest of several other suspects for offences including kidnapping, armed banditry, illegal possession of firearms, robbery, cultism, rape, theft and breach of peace in different parts of the state.
He reaffirmed the corps’ commitment to tackling crime, saying, “What we want to make clear is that there is no hiding place for criminals again, both in the forests and in the towns.
“The Amotekun Corps has been strategically positioned across all parts of the state to ensure that commuters and residents can go about their lawful activities without molestation.”
