The Ondo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun Corps, has arrested four persons over an alleged self-kidnapping plot and the circulation of false information on social media in Akure North Local Government Area of the state.
The Commander of the Corps, Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed this on Monday while parading 53 suspects arrested for various offences across the state.
Adeleye said the suspects allegedly orchestrated a fake kidnapping incident and misled security agencies and members of the public through false reports circulated on social media.
According to him, preliminary investigations revealed that one of the individuals who reported the purported abduction was directly involved in the scheme.
“We have four people here today that give self-kidnapping and raise false alarm using the social media. We moved in and we were able to arrest the first two,” Adeleye said.
“Upon detailed investigation, we found out that the man who rushed to the Amotekun Corps office to report that his siblings were kidnapped turned out to be an accomplice.
“And upon detailed scrutiny, he led us to his home where we found the man they claimed had been kidnapped.”
The Amotekun commander warned residents against spreading unverified information capable of causing panic, stressing that the corps would continue to investigate and prosecute individuals involved in criminal deception.
He noted that the arrests formed part of a broader operation that led to the apprehension of 53 suspects for offences including kidnapping, murder, cultism, rape, cattle rustling, impersonation, theft, and conspiracy.
Adeleye also disclosed that the corps arrested 21 suspected illegal immigrants in Owo, describing their activities as suspicious and noting that many lacked the required ECOWAS travel documents.
He said the suspects would be handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service for further investigation and appropriate action.
Adeleye further disclosed that operatives of the corps uncovered and disrupted a diesel theft syndicate allegedly involved in the diversion of petroleum products worth several millions of naira from a construction firm and quarry site along Ondo Road, Akure.
“In Akure, the Central Senatorial District of Ondo State, we were able to put a wedge in the smooth business running into several millions of stealing of diesel from a construction firm/quarry along Ondo Road, Akure,” he said
The commander reiterated Amotekun’s commitment to tackling crime across Ondo State and urged residents to continue providing timely and actionable intelligence to security agencies.
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