Ondo Amotekun foils three robberies, kidnapping
By Akintunde Jacobs, Akure
Ondo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun Corps, has foiled attempted robbery of three commercial banks in Irele local government area of the state.
The leader of the seven-man gang alongside 36 other suspects were paraded on Thursday at the headquarters of the corps in Akure.
The Commander of the Corps, Adetunji Adeleye, said suspects were arrested for alleged involvement in various offences, adding that among the suspects was the mastermind of an intended bank robbery, who also planned to kidnap a businessman in Irele local government area of Ondo state.
Adeleye said intelligence gathering of the corps led to the arrest of the mastermind while six other members of the gang are still at large.
He said, “The seven-man operatives of the gang came all the way from Sapele, Delta State for the purpose of kidnapping and robbery of a bank in Irele LGA.
“Six of them are at large, but we were able to apprehend the mastermind, Fatai Bami, who accommodated the robbers. We were equally able to get to the root of the target that they intended to kidnap to give the officers of Amotekun the feeling that it was a mere robbery, whereas it was a dual operation.
“The manhunt for the leader who escaped to Delta State is on. We are liaising with relevant government and security authorities to assist us in apprehending this runaway gang. The intel available to us showed that they intend to rob three banks and kidnap the MD of a supermarket. Investigations showed that they liaised with a staff of the supermarket who declined to join the group.
“Amongst them are those who specialise in vandalising critical government assets. They actually went with a trailer to load pipes meant for the World Bank financed water project and successfully offloaded it but our operatives followed them and apprehended them where they offloaded at a different location.
“This is in furtherance of the determination that our citizens live peacefully in Ondo State. We appeal to the public to continue to support us with timely and actionable information and we pledge to secure lives and properties in conjunction with other security agencies in Ondo State.”
