By Precious Oluwole

No fewer than 29 suspects were on Monday paraded by Ondo State Security Network Agency, popularly known as Amotekun.

The suspects were paraded for different criminal activities, including kidnapping, attempted murder, stealing, arson, burglary, open grazing, among others.

Parading the suspects at the Corps headquarters on Monday, the State Commander of Amotekun, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, noted that the suspects would be thoroughly investigated and brought to book.

According to him, an ex-convict, who was released from the correctional centre on the 1st of January, 2024 was among those arrested by his men, stressing that he was arrested on January 4, 2024 for the same offence of burglary that led to his imprisonment.

“In the last one week, we were able to arrest 29 suspects involved in different forms of security breaches from kidnapping, armed robbery, housebreaking, shoplifting, stealing of motorcycles, among others.

“One issue of note is that in all of such instances, we always have a recycled criminal.

“Like in this case, there is a particular suspect that left the correctional centre on January 1 and on January 4, in less than one week, he committed the crime of burglary again.

“The ex-convict claimed to be a drug dealer who also engaged in robbery activities. We equally have about four suspects who violated the anti-grazing law of the state.

“In the same way, those that were involved in illegal possession of firearms and have been on our watchlist in the last five months were arrested with guns, locally made pistols, with which they perpetrate evil,” he said

He commended personnel of the corps and other security agencies that have been diligent in ensuring the safety of lives and properties throughout the end-of-year festivities.

He said that during the period, no bank robbery was recorded and neither was there any major robbery incident in the state.

Adeleye opined that the suspects would be prosecuted upon the completion of investigations by the corps.

While urging farmers and business owners to carry out their activities without fear, Adeleye advised criminal in the state to turn a new leaf this year and give up crime or face the full weight of the law when caught.