Ondo Amotekun arrests couple for burgling ex-speaker’s residence, 44 others

The Ondo State Security Network Agency, also known as the Amotekun Corps, has arrested no fewer than 46 suspected criminals across the 18 local government areas of the state.

A man, Samson Osowe, and his wife, Ayo Oguneso, were among the 46 suspects paraded for allegedly burgling the house of a former Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Mrs Jumoke Akindele, and stealing her belongings in Okitipupa, the headquarters of Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state.

Parading the suspects at the headquarters of the corps in Alagbaka, Akure, the state capital, the Commander of the corps, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, said while the couple had been arrested, seven stolen mobile phones and other valuables carted away during the operation had been recovered, and an attempt to smuggle the items to Lagos for sale was foiled.

He said, “I’m happy to let you know that all the phones stolen from the former speaker are here in front of the suspects, and the two suspects are right here with us, Samson Osowe, 28, male, and his wife, Ayo Oguneso, 22, including the transporter who was supposed to take the phones out of Okitipupa to Lagos.

“We equally have the accomplice, but because we expanded our scope of investigation to other issues, that is why others, not only directly related, have been on our watch list in that local government.

“We put everything in place to arrest them, but they will go to court immediately, and the phones will be released on bond to the Right Honourable Speaker.”

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Speaking on the other suspects, the Amotekun commander said some were involved in kidnapping, violation of the anti-open grazing law, cultism, illegal possession of arms, among other offences.

“Out of these 46, 13 are suspected kidnappers, two were arrested for violating the anti-open grazing law, while 31 were arrested for different criminal activities, which include cultism, illegal possession of firearms, breach of peace, theft of iron, and other domestic criminal activities. The suspected kidnappers were arrested in the Government Reserve Area of Owo.

“There’s one Muhammad Tati in Ilu-Abo, Akure North; Izij and Genesis Oda Road, Iluwabu, Itiu, Roshukari, Akoko, and also in the forest reserve of Owo. We arrested Usman, 25; Musa, 20; Bakary, 28; Muhammad, 23; Hosseini, 35; and David, 26. In connection with the kidnapping that took place along the railroad axis, we were able to arrest them.

“We have two brothers, Usman and Usman, and one Zakaria. As an informant, we have Seidu, who was arrested while preparing to buy food and other items for the kidnappers. We also arrested a 20-year-old Ayuba and one Umaru for violating the anti-open grazing law in our local government.”

Adeleye expressed the corps’ commitment to ensuring adequate security in the state, saying all operational units of the corps were active across the 18 local government areas in continuation of what was supposed to be a Sallah patrol.