Ondo Amotekun Rescues Two Abducted Herdsmen, Recovers Missing Cattle

Operatives of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, popularly known as Amotekun Corps, have rescued two Fulani herders who were allegedly abducted by suspected kidnappers in a forest along the Ondo-Edo boundary.

The victims, identified as Abubakar Umaru and Adulahi Umaru, were reportedly grazing cattle around the Owo axis when they were seized by the kidnappers and taken into a forest.

Speaking with journalists after the operation, the Commander of the Ondo State Amotekun Corps, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, said the rescue mission was initiated after the victims’ parents alerted the agency that the herders had failed to return home with their cattle.

According to Adeleye, operatives first succeeded in recovering the missing cattle before launching a coordinated search for the abducted herders.

He explained that intelligence gathered by the corps led operatives into the forest bordering Ondo and Edo states, including the Abuja Forest area, where the victims were eventually located.

The commander disclosed that the suspected kidnappers fled the scene after realising they had been surrounded by Amotekun operatives, allowing the victims to be rescued safely without any exchange of gunfire.

“Our priority was to rescue the victims alive rather than engage the kidnappers in a confrontation that could put their lives at risk,” Adeleye said.

He commended residents who provided useful information that aided the operation and reiterated the corps’ commitment to safeguarding all residents of the state irrespective of their ethnic background.

Adeleye stressed that the agency remains committed to combating criminality, noting that criminals would be treated equally regardless of tribe or ethnicity.

The rescued herders narrated that the kidnappers forcefully separated them from their cattle, marched them deep into the forest and threatened them with knives throughout their captivity before Amotekun operatives arrived and secured their freedom.

The successful operation, according to the commander, reflects the agency’s continued commitment to tackling kidnapping and other violent crimes across Ondo State through intelligence-led security operations.

The incident was reported by the Ondo State Amotekun Corps, and no independent confirmation from the police was included at the time of reporting.