Akogun Adeleye Adetunji, the Commander of the Ondo State Security Network, commonly known as the Amotekun Corps, has stated that the heightened security measures in neighboring Ekiti State have compelled kidnappers to seek refuge in the state.
The Ondo Amotekun boss reported a surge in the arrest of suspected kidnappers in the state.
Akogun Adetunji made these remarks during a press briefing where he paraded 43 suspects arrested in various parts of the state for their involvement in various crimes.
The Commander said the state would not be a safe haven for kidnappers feeling Ekiti state.
Akogun, however, said there were security breaches in northern parts of the state and an increase in the number of herders/farmers clashes.
He said: “I want to trace this to the heavy presence of security personnel in Ekiti and I want to believe that they are being driven to Ondo State, but we want to tell you that Ondo State can never be a haven for criminals.
“We have risen to the challenge and all of them that we have picked in kidnap scenes, during kidnap, and during attempts to kidnap with credible victims around to identify some of them, are the ones we are parading today.
“We also have some that we arrested with local arms and ammunition and we’re not able to justify what they wanted to do with the arms and ammunition.
“This week, we have a sharp decline in the number of housebreaking because we have commenced foot walk, especially on Sundays when people have gone to church and during working hours when people are at work.
“We still have issues with security challenges on our borders, especially the Kogi/Ondo border, and Edo/Ondo border. We are working on it and collaborating.
“The actual thing that you saw on social media happened in between those two communities and we have been raising alarm that in places that we don’t have the grassroots local security that we can work with, we have been having issues, but we are happy, however, that they joined and collaborated with us and the search continues.”