28 Suspects Paraded as Ondo Amotekun Targets Kidnap Kingpins, Sponsors
By Exponent News Akure 2nd September 2025
At least 28 suspected criminals have been arrested and paraded by the Ondo State Security Network, codenamed Amotekun Corps, as the outfit intensifies its crackdown on criminal networks and their financiers across the state.
State Commander of Amotekun, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed this on Tuesday in Akure, stressing that the agency had moved beyond arresting field operatives of crime and was now on the trail of their godfathers and backers. He revealed that some of the suspects, including kidnappers, were nabbed in villages along Owo-Ifon-Benin road.
The arrested suspects face charges ranging from kidnapping, armed robbery, rape, cattle rustling, burglary, and illegal possession of firearms. Among them were four suspected kidnappers picked up in Elegbeka, identified as Kwangi, Kana, Sam, and Daniel, aged between 18 and 27.
Others included Abiola (24), arrested for fraud and rape; Ogungbemi, for sexual assault; and Tosin, for assault. The corps also recovered stolen cattle rustled from Fulani herders in Igbara-Oke, with two suspects, Abubakar Musa and Umar Mohammed, aged 20, apprehended and the livestock returned to their owners.
A burglary syndicate that specialized in stealing laptops, phones, and motorcycles was also busted, with six suspects, aged between 29 and 69, paraded, including a 69-year-old alleged gang leader accused of masterminding attacks on motorcycle riders. Additional arrests were made for theft of pumping machines, electrical materials, and unlicensed firearms.
In a disturbing case, Adeleye narrated how a 16-year-old girl found wandering in Ore after being drugged and molested was rehabilitated by Amotekun for five months before being reunited with her family in Oyo State. He described the intervention as part of the corps’ “corporate social responsibility.”
The commander credited the recent successes to collaborations with the Police, NSCDC, DSS, and intelligence from residents. He maintained that the corps had secured forests in the state, enabling farmers to return to their farmlands without fear.
“Amotekun always strives to stay ahead. We are now after the godfathers of these criminals because until the chain is broken, peace will remain elusive,” Adeleye said. He added that the corps’ operations had contributed to boosting Ondo State’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) by over 500 per cent in 2023, in line with Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s directive to create a safe climate for investors.
Adeleye urged citizens to remain vigilant, stressing that prompt reporting of suspicious activities could save lives and property.
