Amotekun Nabs 39 Suspects Who Allegedly Escaped Sokoto After US-Backed Airstrike
The Ondo State Security Network Agency, Amotekun Corps, has arrested 39 suspects believed to have fled Sokoto State and taken refuge in forest reserves in Ondo State following a recent United States–backed military airstrike in northern Nigeria.
The State Commander of the corps, Mr. Adetunji Adeleye, made this known on Tuesday in Akure while parading the suspects alongside 22 others apprehended for various criminal offences across the state.
According to Adeleye, the suspects were arrested at the Elegbeka area of Ose Local Government Area, a location he described as a notorious security hotspot. He recalled that the area had previously recorded deadly attacks, including the killing of the Olufon of Ifon several years ago.
The commander said the suspects claimed they relocated to the forest after a recent military operation, allegedly supported by the United States, targeted ISIS-linked terrorists operating in northern Nigeria.
He explained that the persistent security challenges in Elegbeka led to the establishment of a permanent Amotekun outpost within the forest to check activities such as kidnapping and armed robbery.
Adeleye noted that existing government regulations require individuals residing or operating within forest areas to obtain clearance from the appropriate authorities, stressing that the sudden influx of strangers into the forest raised red flags for security operatives.
He further disclosed that the suspects were apprehended while hiding inside the forest, with their vehicles parked at a distance to avoid detection. “They were carefully tracked, arrested and brought together. Profiling is ongoing, and anyone found culpable will be charged to court,” he said.
The arrests, Adeleye added, were carried out as part of the corps’ intensified ember-month security operations involving four major deployments across Ondo State.
He revealed that about 100 suspects were arrested during the operation, with 61 paraded on Tuesday. A breakdown of the arrests showed that 50 suspects were held for breach of law and order, two for violating anti-open grazing laws, six for kidnapping-related offences, and three for rape and other gender-based violence offences.