Operatives of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun Corps, have rescued a man and another kidnap victim from the den of kidnappers in a forest in Ondo State, although a woman abducted alongside them died shortly after the rescue.
The victims were rescued following a 72-hour intelligence driven operation by the Amotekun Special Squad, in collaboration with other security agencies.
The Corps Commander of the Ondo State Amotekun Corps, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed this while parading 14 suspects arrested for various offences before journalists in the state.
According to Adeleye, the operation followed a distress call on the abduction of two persons in Oke-Igbo, prompting nine members of the Special Squad to immediately mobilise to the area.
He said the agency also contacted sister security agencies, particularly the Department of State Services (DSS), to commence a joint tracking operation.
Adeleye said the kidnappers attempted to mislead the security operatives by providing false geolocation information, but the combined use of intelligence gathering, bush combing and non-kinetic strategies eventually led to the discovery of the victims deep inside a forest reserve, several kilometres from the scene of the abduction.
He said: “Several kilometres away from the scene of the crime, we successfully secured the release of the two victims who were kidnapped in Oke-Igbo. It was not without a lot of trouble because the kidnappers equally deceived us on the geolocation.
“We developed non-kinetic measures in addition to intelligence-driven bush combing, and this led to identifying them deep inside the forest.”
The Commander, however, said the female victim was already unconscious and could not be revived when the operatives reached the kidnappers’ hideout.
“Unfortunately, by the time we got there, the lady was exhausted and we could not revive her. We met her dead or unconscious,” he said.
One of the rescued victims, 38-year-old Adetan Adebanjo Adedayo, said he was abducted alongside the woman on August 3 while working at his farm in Oke-Igbo.
According to him, four armed men carrying AK-47 rifles approached him while he was attempting to reverse his vehicle, tied him up and led him into the forest.
He said the kidnappers later abducted another woman from a nearby farm and took both of them deeper into the bush.
Adedayo said they were subjected to severe hardship, including hunger, beatings and exposure to rain and sun, throughout their captivity.
He said the kidnappers later contacted their families and demanded a ransom of N100 million each before Amotekun operatives launched the rescue operation.
“It was a big battle between the Amotekun and the kidnappers because there were a lot of gunshots. After rescuing us, the woman was already tired and exhausted because there was no food for us for several days.
“I tried to carry her and told her not to panic, but she was already dead. We paid nothing, not a single ransom, before the Amotekun came to rescue us,” he said.
Adeleye also disclosed that Amotekun operatives recently rescued two other kidnap victims in the Ala-Dada axis after they were able to send a distress signal.
He said the operatives responded within minutes and secured the release of the victims from the forest.
The Commander further announced the arrest of suspected kidnappers and cattle rustlers operating around Ore, Ode-Aye, Ofosu and Omotosho in Odigbo Local Government Area.
He said the suspects were allegedly involved in the kidnapping and rustling of cattle belonging to Fulani herders, adding that some of the stolen animals were sold to buyers across the state at significantly reduced prices.
According to him, the suspects also have links with collaborators who are still at large, while security agencies are working to apprehend them.
Adeleye said two suspects, Akinlolu and Akintimi, were arrested for alleged illegal possession of firearms, while another suspect, identified as Jamiu, was arrested for allegedly vandalising buildings under construction and stealing electrical cables, plumbing installations and other building materials.
He said another suspect, Olajide, was arrested for allegedly stealing iron rods, while one Lomi Dada was accused of stealing an iron rod used at the palace of the traditional ruler in Odigbo.
The Amotekun boss also disclosed the recovery of a motorcycle allegedly stolen in Akure and taken to Ore for sale.
He identified two suspects, Ojo and Opayemi, aged 25 and 29 respectively, in connection with the alleged theft.
Adeleye said 14 suspects were paraded, comprising nine suspects arrested for various breaches of law and order and five others linked to kidnapping and cattle rustling.
He added that Amotekun operatives had also tracked one of the suspects linked to an earlier kidnapping case to Oyo State, where arrangements were being made with sister security agencies for his arrest and transfer to Ondo State.
The Commander assured residents that the state remained safe for residents, businesses and investors, stressing that the agency had intensified border patrols and forest surveillance.
He said Amotekun Rangers were deployed across forest areas and the metropolis, while operatives were also stationed at major junctions to prevent criminal activities and protect lives and property.
Meanwhile, another rescued victim, 36-year-old Lawal Onimisi Abdulhamid from Okene, said he was rescued after he and his boss were accosted by suspected kidnappers while travelling towards a farm in the Dada–Power Line axis.
Abdulhamid said the assailants, numbering between four and six, chased them with torches, forcing them to abandon their vehicle and seek refuge in the bush.
He said they subsequently contacted Amotekun operatives, who arrived shortly afterwards and rescued them.
The Chairman of Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo Local Government Area, Hon. Adeboye Adedare, commended the Amotekun Corps and other security agencies for their swift response to the incident.
Adebare also commended Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa for his intervention, saying the governor acted promptly after he was informed of the abduction.
He urged residents not to dispose of their properties or succumb to pressure from kidnappers demanding ransom, expressing confidence in the ability of security agencies to rescue victims.
The council chairman, however, expressed sadness over the death of the female victim, describing it as painful but beyond human control.
He commended the Amotekun operatives, police, civil defence personnel, anti-kidnapping operatives and local hunters for their collective efforts in combating insecurity in the area.
Adebare also praised Amotekun personnel for their professionalism, alleging that the operatives had remained committed to their duties without demanding money from residents.
He assured residents of Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo and the state at large that the security and welfare of the people remained a priority.
The latest operation, according to the Amotekun authorities, underscores the agency’s renewed efforts to intensify intelligence-led operations and forest surveillance in order to deny criminal elements safe havens across Ondo State.
Discover more from Trace News Magazine
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
