The Commander of Ondo State Security Network Agency Code named Amotekun, Adetunji Adeleye, has raised alarm over a new tactic by criminal gangs who pose as guests to gain access to homes before carrying out kidnappings and robberies.
Adeleye disclosed this while parading 97 suspects arrested across the 18 local government areas of Ondo State in Akure.
According to him, operatives recently dismantled a criminal syndicate that specialised in visiting unsuspecting residents at night under the guise of being guests, only to turn into armed robbers after gaining access to their victims’ homes.
He explained that members of the gang would enter houses peacefully without firing a shot, lock the doors, and hold occupants hostage for hours.
“They entered homes pretending to be guests. Once inside, they locked the doors, brought out guns, ate, rested and in the early hours of the morning forced victims to transfer money into various accounts before carting away vehicle keys and other valuables,” Adeleye said.
The Amotekun boss said operatives recovered vehicles stolen by the syndicate, including a Pathfinder SUV abandoned in a forest after security personnel intensified patrols.
He added that the suspects used other individuals to drive some of the stolen vehicles because they were unfamiliar with the routes in the affected communities.
Adeleye assured residents that security agencies had intensified surveillance and forest patrols across the state, stressing that most major criminal incidents recorded recently had been successfully tackled through joint operations involving Amotekun, the police, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the Nigerian Army.
He urged residents to remain vigilant and provide timely information to security agencies, saying, “If you see something, say something, so we can prevent crime rather than react to it.”