The Ondo State Security Network Agency also known as Amotekun Corps on Monday said it had arrested one of the prime suspects who killed the ward chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Mr Nelson Adepoyigi, after he was kidnapped by some armed men at the entrance of his farm along the Ifon-Owo Road, in Ifon, the headquarters of Ose Local Government Area of the state last month.
He was abducted along with two other victims.
The corps also said it had arrested no fewer than 32 persons suspected to be criminals across the state.
Parading the suspects at the headquarters of the command in Akure, the state capital, on Monday, the Amotekun Commander, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, said they were arrested at different locations across the 18 Local Government Areas of the state.
According to him, the suspects allegedly committed crimes such as kidnapping, rape, robbery, and stealing among others.
Adeleye said the alleged killer of the APC chieftain had confessed to the killing of the politician.
He said, “Today, we are parading 32 suspects. These 32 suspects were arrested across the 18 Local Government Areas of Ondo State for an infringement of the existing laws.
I also want to place on record that the task force put in place to bring sanity to the restive in Akure North is still in force. The Amotekun Rangers are domiciled with officers and men from all security agencies in and out of the area. So, as we talk, in the last 14 days, there have been no incidents of attack on farmers and residents of Ago-Oyinbo, Ago-dada and the Power line area where we usually have attacks.
“Again, one of the prime suspects in the killing of a ward chairman in Ose (LGA ) has been arrested. He confessed and took us back into the forest where we retrieved some of the items they took from their victims’ families.
“What we are saying in effect is that in the last two weeks in Ondo State, we have been able to ensure that there is no ransom paid for kidnapping, which remains the position of the good people and government of Ondo State.”
Giving a breakdown of the number of the suspects, the Amotekun Commander said, “For those breaking laws and order, we arrested 20 suspects, on pending enforcement, no suspect was arrested in the last two weeks. Land and chieftaincy matter, no suspect was arrested. On the labour union, no suspect was arrested.
“On anti-grazing, only one suspect and he will be facing the law as stated in the anti-open grazing law. On human trafficking, none. On kidnapping, we have 10 suspects and a majority of them, we have the victims, identifying them. On robbery, we have two. These two are here today with the victims and this one happened on the Benin Expressway. They had been arrested and investigation continues on them. On rape, we have only one suspect,” he stated.
Adetunji gave the identities of the kidnap suspects as “35-year-old Ali; 30-year-old Habeeb; 45-year-old Bobade; 25-year-old Shedrak’ 25-year-old Adamu; 20-year-old Adelewa; 40-year-old Suleiman; 20-year-old Mohamed; 18-year-old Suleiman Isiaka and 18-year-old Husseini. All are being investigated as suspected kidnappers.
“They were arrested in Ute-Owo Forest, Jugbere Forest, and Ipele in Owo. On armed robbery, we have three, including one Michael, 23-year-old, who was arrested around the Roscoe area in Odigbo. There is also a Lawal, 37, arrested for forgery, false information, aiding and abetting robbery around the Powerline area.”
