The Ondo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun Corps) has arrested 39 individuals alleged to be fleeing from Sokoto State and hiding in forest reserves across Ondo. The arrests were disclosed on Tuesday during a parade of more than 100 suspected criminals in the state capital, Akure.
The suspects were detained in the Elegbeka area of Ose Local Government, a location long regarded by security officials as a notorious hotspot for kidnapping, banditry, and other forms of violent crime.
According to Chief Adetunji Adeleye, the State Commander of Amotekun, the 39 suspects claimed they fled Sokoto State after recent United States-backed airstrikes targeted terrorist elements in northern Nigeria. The strikes, conducted in collaboration with the Nigerian military, were aimed at dismantling extremist hideouts in the region.
“A couple of days ago, 39 suspects were arrested, claiming that because of the heat turned on them in the northern part of the country, they relocated to the forest,” Adeleye told reporters at the parade. “We are profiling them, and those found with incriminating materials will surely be prosecuted.”
The military operation in Sokoto followed coordinated surveillance and precision airstrikes carried out at the end of December, as part of intensified efforts to degrade Islamic State-linked networks and other armed groups involved in terror and banditry.
Amotekun operatives said the suspects were not intercepted while on the move but were discovered hibernating deep inside the forests, with vehicles parked at a distance from their hideouts, a method believed to be used to evade detection by security forces.
“For anyone to stay in our forest areas, the government has made it clear that such a person must obtain permits,” Adeleye said. “So, the sudden influx of this element raises serious security questions.”
The suspects are currently undergoing detailed profiling and intelligence checks. Those found to be in possession of weapons, extremist literature, or other incriminating evidence are expected to face prosecution under Nigerian law.
The 39 suspects were presented alongside 61 other suspects arrested across Ondo State for various criminal offences during the ongoing ember-month security operations — a period marked by increased patrols aimed at curbing festive-season crime.
Adeleye explained that among the broader group were: 50 suspects detained for breach of law and order, two individuals for anti-open grazing law violations, six suspects linked to kidnapping-related crimes, and three individuals held for alleged rape and gender-based violence offenses.
Additionally, detailed arrests included: Mustafa (34) and Philip (45),charged with kidnapping around the Ofosu–Odigbo axis; Idris (18), Ibrahim Abdullahi (20), and Lawal Idris (23), apprehended in the Isua-Akoko area; Daniel Ojo (19), Usman (33), and Bejide (41), facing allegations of rape and assault on Amotekun officers; Ola Tunbosun (30), Ibrahim, and Shahidi, accused of armed robbery across Akure North, Oba-Akoko, and Oba-Ile locales.
Adeleye also highlighted that his team disrupted a robbery gang operating in Akure, which used unmarked taxis, without visible registration numbers, to lure unsuspecting passengers before robbing them at gunpoint.
The Amotekun commander reaffirmed that the state’s security posture would remain vigilant beyond the ember-month operations.
“Operation Le Won Jade Phase Two will commence from January 1,” Adeleye said, emphasizing that 24/7 patrols and forest deployments would continue unabated to deter criminal activities.
He also pointed to strengthened cooperation among border patrol units of Southwest states, noting that improved surveillance along interstate forest corridors had facilitated the apprehension of suspects, including some detained in Ogun State but brought back to Ondo for prosecution.
Adeleye expressed appreciation to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa for what he described as a supportive operating environment and commended other security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigerian Army, and local vigilante groups, as well as residents for their cooperation.
“Our goal remains to rid Ondo State of criminal elements and safeguard the lives and property of law-abiding citizens,” he said.
