How we nabbed bandits who invaded Ondo to cause havoc with guns, knives, daggers – Amotekun boss

‘Tosin Ajuwon, Akure

At least eighteen suspected bandits from Kastina state who were apprehended with dangerous weapons and ammunition in Ondo state would soon be charge to court.

The suspects were arrested by the joint operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, the State Security Network Agency otherwise known as Amotekun Corps and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

They were arrested with guns and over 500 different kinds of daggers, swords, poisoned jack knives and live ammunition concealed in bags filled with tiger nuts.

The suspects from Michi in Katsina State were allegedly deployed to invade the state shortly after the 32 Artillery Brigade, Akure withdrew all soldiers from checkpoints and inter-state boundaries.

Chief Adetunji Adeleye, the Commander of the Amotekun Corps in Ondo state stated this shortly after parading the suspects at his office in Akure.

Adeleye who explained how the bandits were arrested noted that they were given a hot chase by the Amotekun corps before they were eventually caught in Ondo town, in Ondo West Local Government.

He said two of the three buses that earlier arrived the Ondo from Katsina state escaped after the chase from Akure, the state capital.

Mr. Adeleye added that the suspected bandits had, after entering the state, dismantled all roadblocks mounted to halt their escape, before they were eventually arrested in Ondo town.

According to the Amotekun commander, intelligence report as regards the movement of the bandits before entering the state aided the joint operation that led to the arrest.

“We got information that a group of men were coming to invade the state, so we set out our monitoring devices.

And precisely at about 1:30 am on Thursday, we saw three hummer buses that we had actually been trailing till they entered the state.

“They had a brief stop just before they entered. We tried to stop them but the three buses escaped, so we have to radio all our control points and we were able to bring the three buses to a stop at a point on Ondo road. It was a combined team of Amotekun, police and civil defence personnel.

“The buses attempted to crush the security personnel and speed off. In fact, the speed with which they took off, after stopping, was so much that they hit all the barricades on the road.

“We realised that it would be difficult and dangerous pursuing them and we decided that we should not cause any accident.

We sent radio message to our station at Owena and the security men there blocked the road for all vehicles.

“On getting there, the bandits were able to escape by hitting the barricades again.

We continued pursuing them, and calling the Ile-Oluji junction that they should block the road solidly there but they also escaped.

“After that, we completely blocked the road before the Akure garage in Ondo town and we were able to apprehend them.

“The bandits claimed that they were coming to Akure and the driver said somebody commissioned them from Kaduna State but that he did not know the content of the bag that was filled with tiger nuts.

“On opening the bags, we found some guns and rounds of ammunition. Under the seat, we found about 500 different types and sizes of dagger and poisonous jack knives cleverly concealed.

“When we asked them what they intended to do, they told us that they were just given instructions to go and that further instructions would be given to them”, Adeleye said.

He assured that the arrested suspects would be charged to court after further investigations noting that other suspects currently at large would be apprehended soon.

Commenting on the prompt arrest of the suspects, both leaders of Hausa community in the state and the Chairman, Miyetti Allah, Mallam Bala Umaru and Usman Bello, appreciated the security agencies for their intelligence in nabbing the intruders.

They said they were born in Ondo and have taken the state as their home while condemning the attempt to move such dangerous weapons from the north to the state to cause havoc.

According to them, the incident would have caused internecine clashes between the Hausa/Fulani communities and their hosts if the security agencies had not been proactive.

They, however, rained curses on the sponsors of such deadly acts and vowed to join hands with the security agencies in apprehending those suspects currently at large.