• Corps busts fake kidnapping scam, dismisses Igboho’s Iru Ekun as no threat

The Ondo State Security Network Agency, Amotekun Corps, has raised the alarm over the activities of foreign nationals allegedly involved in criminal activities across the state.

The corps made the disclosure while parading 53 suspects arrested for various offences, including kidnapping, murder, cattle rustling, impersonation, cultism, rape and diesel theft.

Among those paraded were 21 foreign nationals, mostly from neighbouring West African countries, who were allegedly found living in hotels and apartments without proper documentation.

The Amotekun Commander in Ondo State, Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed this yesterday during a press briefing at the corps’ headquarters in Akure.

Adeleye said the foreign nationals allegedly presented themselves as phone sellers and repairers but were found living in accommodations that, according to the corps, appeared inconsistent with their stated means of livelihood.

He also alleged that some of them operated with the assistance of local collaborators, including landlords who rented properties to the foreigners without demanding proper documentation.

The commander said the 21 foreign nationals had been profiled and would be handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service for further investigation and possible prosecution.

Giving details of some of the arrests, Adeleye said several suspects were apprehended in connection with alleged kidnapping, robbery and attempted murder along the Osi/Igboba axis.

He listed the suspects as Mubarak, 27; Muhammad, 35; Nura, 25; and Ismaila, 21.

He said three other suspects; Daniel, 45; Monday, 43; and Godday, 37, as well as Uba, 35 were arrested in Ogbese over alleged conspiracy and kidnapping.

In the Akoko Southeast, Isua axis, Saleh, 18; Muhammad, 21; and Usman, 49, were arrested over alleged conspiracy and kidnapping, while an 18-year-old suspect, Samuel Christopher, was arrested in Irese, Akure, over an alleged rape case.

Adeleye further disclosed that Hassan, 30; Eweje Idowu; Onina Ifeoluwa; Egotan Temitope; Eniabire Iranlowo; and Oladele Friday were arrested around the Ode-Aye/Okitipupa axis over alleged conspiracy, cultism and murder.

He said Bala, 51, was arrested in Odode-Idanre for alleged impersonation, while Abubakar, 24, was arrested around the Ode-Aye/Okitipupa axis for alleged cattle rustling.

The commander also said three suspects, James, 35; Dayo, 38; and Tomisin, 41, were among those arrested in connection with alleged conspiracy and theft following the discovery of more than 30 containers filled with diesel.

In a separate development, the corps said it had uncovered a fake kidnapping allegedly staged to create panic and extort money from the public.

According to Adeleye, four people were arrested in Akure North Local Government Area after a purported kidnapping triggered alarm and reports on social media.

He said the initial information suggested that a person had been kidnapped, but investigators discovered that one of those who reported the incident was allegedly an accomplice.

The suspect reportedly led security operatives to the location where the supposed victim had been hiding, exposing the incident as a hoax.

Adeleye said the development underscored the need for residents to verify information before sharing reports of criminal incidents on social media.

Meanwhile, the commander also dismissed concerns that Iru Ekun, a security initiative founded by Yoruba self-determination campaigner Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, could pose a threat to Amotekun.

Adeleye said: “The Ondo State Security Network Agency is a product of law, a baby of circumstance to bridge gaps in the existing federal government security agencies. So, there is no way such an organisation, Iru Ekun, can be a threat to Amotekun.”

He added that the corps remained focused on its mandate of protecting residents and tackling criminal activities across Ondo State.

The commander said investigations into the cases were ongoing and that suspects would be handed over to the appropriate authorities.