Police arrest 150 Boko Haram suspects in Ondo

NO fewer than 150 suspected members of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, have been arrested by the Ondo State Police Command.
They were arrested yesterday in Ondo city by policemen from the Funbi-Fagun Divisional Police Station in Ondo West Local Council of the state who intercepted their truck.

The suspects, who came from the northern part of the country, were conveyed in a truck marked KANO NSR 97 XZ, from Kebbi State and heading towards Ore town in Odigbo Local Council before they were arrested at Lipakala Junction in Ondo town.

The swoop operation was led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the station, Mr. Olu-Ojo Ogunmoyole, who also involved men of the Special Anti-robbery Squad from the police headquarters in Akure.

They were later conveyed to the state Force Headquarters with items such as 18 dane guns, two jack knives, 22 cutlasses as well as several torchlights recovered from them.

Ogunmoyole, who stated that the suspects were intercepted during a surveillance operation carried out by the anti-robbery squad attached to the division, said that the suspects would be transferred to Akure, the capital of Ondo State, for further investigation.

The police boss told the people of the community to remain calm and go about their lawful activities, assuring them of readiness of the police to continue to safeguard their lives and property at all times.

One of the suspects, Abdulahi Sheriff, said they did not belong to the dreaded sect but farmers coming from Benin-Kebbi to seek greener pastures in the southern part of Nigeria, especially in Ore town where they intend to engage in agricultural activities.
He said their movement from the North was due to the prolonged dry season in the area, which had affected their activities.

The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Femi Joseph, however, stated that the suspects had been interrogated and some of them refuted the allegations that they were members of the sect.
He said the police confirmed that they were farmers from the North but were still investigating why they were in possession of such dangerous weapons.