Insecurities: Ondo Restricts Night Okada Operations as Amotekun Parades 70 Kidnap Suspects, Others
The Commander of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, Adetunji Adeleye, on Tuesday announced new security measures in Ondo State as operatives of the corps paraded 70 suspects arrested across the state for offences ranging from kidnapping and cultism to human trafficking and other criminal activities.
Speaking while presenting the suspects, Adeleye said the arrests were made across the 18 local government areas of the state through coordinated operations carried out by Amotekun and other security agencies.
He disclosed that 39 suspects were arrested for breaching law and order, while 18 were suspected kidnappers.
According to him, 11 suspects were linked to cult-related activities, while one suspect each was arrested for human trafficking and gun-running.
The Amotekun commander explained that some of the kidnapping suspects had already been identified by their victims and are currently undergoing interrogation.
“Eighteen of the suspects are linked to kidnapping cases and several victims have identified them.
Investigations are ongoing and after profiling, they will be charged to courts of competent jurisdiction,” he said.
Adeleye noted that the successes recorded by the corps were largely due to the strong collaboration among security agencies in the state, including the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Department of State Services.
He revealed that joint security operatives had recently raided two notorious black spots within the state where about 99 suspects were arrested during the operations.
Meanwhile, the Ondo State Government has introduced new directives aimed at tackling the activities of kidnappers, armed robbers and other criminal elements.
One of the major measures announced is the restriction of commercial motorcycle operations between 7:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. across the state.
Adeleye said all commercial motorcycle operators must register and obtain certified documents within two weeks, adding that operators who fail to comply will be required to pay ₦20,000 to the state internal revenue board before they can continue operating.
“All okada riders must be properly documented. Only those involved in essential services will be exempted from the restriction,” he stated.
The government also announced a ban on cart pushing within major metropolitan areas, as well as the mandatory registration of scrap metal dealers within two weeks to regulate their activities.
In addition, authorities prohibited the display or sale of farm produce in unauthorized locations outside approved markets, noting that intelligence reports revealed that some of such places were being used by criminal elements as monitoring points.
Adeleye further disclosed that security operatives had intensified patrols in forests and communities across the state, adding that officers and men of various security agencies were currently conducting joint operations in several flashpoints, including forests around Alagada.
He assured residents that efforts were ongoing to strengthen security across the state.
“The morale of our officers is very high.
With the addition of more personnel to the corps, we have been able to intensify operations both in towns and forests. Our goal is to make Ondo State safer for everyone,” he said.
Adeleye maintained that despite recent security challenges, the state remains one of the safest in the region as authorities continue to improve its security architecture.
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