Operatives of the Ondo State Security Network, Amotekun, have arrested a suspected drug peddler alleged to also work as an informant for kidnappers, alongside 98 other suspected criminals in a statewide security operation.
Parading the suspects, Amotekun Commander, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, said some of those arrested disguised themselves as mentally unstable persons in an attempt to evade suspicion while allegedly carrying out kidnappings and armed robberies. He described the group as “fake lunatics,” adding that they were involved in drug trafficking, intelligence gathering for kidnapping gangs, and other criminal activities across the state.
“Our intelligence and plainclothes officers monitored and tracked them to places where they charged their phones, changed clothes, and coordinated operations before they were arrested,” Adeleye said.
He added that other suspects were apprehended during anti-kidnapping raids, while some were arrested for robbery, drug peddling, and actions capable of breaching public peace.
According to him, out of the 98 suspects, 60 are facing prosecution in court, 38 cases were resolved through Alternative Dispute Resolution, while 13 remain under investigation.
He further disclosed that 10 suspects were arrested either at kidnapping scenes or while attempting abductions.
Adeleye also recounted how Amotekun’s rapid response team rescued a kidnapped couple in Iluwabu community without payment of ransom. He said operatives acted on distress information, moved into the forest, rescued the wife, and later secured the husband’s release in an overnight operation.
