A man pretending to be mentally ill has been arrested by the Ondo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun, for allegedly working for kidnappers and armed robbers.
He was arrested alongside 97 other suspected criminals who are operating across the state.
The Amotekun Commander in the state, Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed this at the agency’s headquarters in Akure, while parading the suspects.
Adeleye said that operatives uncovered a new tactic being used by criminals who disguise as mentally unstable persons to evade suspicion while carrying out criminal activities.
According to Adeleye, the fake lunatics were involved in drug trafficking, intelligence gathering for kidnappers, robbery, and other criminal activities across the state.
His words, “Our intelligence and plainclothes officers monitored and tracked them to places where they charged their phones, changed clothes, and coordinated operations before they were arrested.”.
The commander said dozens of other suspects were arrested during anti-kidnapping operations carried out in different parts of the state, while others were apprehended for robbery, drug peddling, and acts capable of disrupting public peace.
He disclosed that 60 of the suspects are currently facing prosecution in courts of competent jurisdiction, while 38 cases were resolved through the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism.
According to him, 13 other suspects are undergoing investigation and interrogation ahead of prosecution, adding that 10 suspects were arrested either at kidnapping scenes or while attempting to carry out abductions.
Adeleye further narrated how Amotekun operatives rescued a kidnapped couple in Iluwabu community without the payment of ransom and reunited them with the family.
He explained that the agency’s rapid response team immediately moved into the forest after receiving distress information, leading to the rescue of the female victim, while an overnight operation eventually secured the release of her husband.
Adeleye attributed the recent rise in kidnapping and other criminal activities to pressure mounted on criminal elements fleeing northern parts of the country.
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