…assures of safety during yuletide
By Tola Gbadamosi
The Ondo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun, on Monday said it has concluded arrangements to begin a 24-hour surveillance and patrol with others security agencies to arrest criminals operating in all the nooks and crannies of the state during the yuletide.
The State’s Commander of Amotekun, Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed this while parading about 33 suspects at the Command’s headquarters in Akure, the Ondo state capital.
According to him, the 33 suspects were arrested for committing various offences in the state.
Adeleye said; “The festive period is around the corner, so we want to use this opportunity to reassure members of the public that the Ondo state security network agency, codenamed Amotekun remains resolute to ensuring that the festive period goes without security breaches in the state.
“We have a cross section of suspected criminals that had been terrorizing the different areas of the state. For the parade today, we have 33 suspected criminals and the activities ranging of kidnapping, house breaking, stealing of motorbikes, trading in human being amongst others.
“We want to place it on record that all the security agencies in the state are already collaborating to ensure that the yuletide period will be crime free. And as part of the package, by November 1, we will be launching annual ember patrol which will entail 24-hours patrol daily in the state capital, Akure and all local government headquarters of the state.
“It will also involve the inter-state boarders patrol with the cooperation of the public. While we reassure the public that we will work round the clock to ensure that our slogans, zero tolerance to crime is marched action.
“This 33 suspected criminals were picked up at various local government areas of the state. Some of them, we have concluded their investigations and they will go for prosecution. While we make sure that the remaining suspects follow the due process of the law.
“We have six suspected kidnappers, and we even have some of their victims here. We equally have about five persons that specializes in stealing motorcycles, they will pretend as passengers and hit the okada rider from the back.
“We have another set of people that specializes in vandalising critical government assets, especially, high tension lines and transformers, they were picked up in Okitipupa and we were able to retrieve most of the things they stole.
“We have a group of people here that specializes in breaking shops, and they have warehouse where they keeps what they stole and we have been able to return what they stole to the owners while they will face normal prosecution.
“All the security agencies in the state had been working round the clock to provide adequate security for the good people of Ondo state. We have been collaborating with the relevant agencies through our neighboring states to flush out all these criminals from our state. So we are assuring the residents of Ose local government area of the state that our efforts will give them peace during this yuletide period.”
