Security agencies in Ondo State have taken the fight against kidnappers into the forests as part of a coordinated operation aimed at dismantling criminal hideouts.
The operation was launched following directives from the state governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as part of efforts to tackle the rising cases of kidnapping and other criminal activities in the state.
A joint task force comprising the Ondo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun Corps), Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the Nigerian Army on Monday commenced extensive combing operations across suspected criminal hotspots.
The operation began in Akure North Local Government Area and extended into forest areas around HOB Estate, Ilado, Ilu-Abo, and Ala-Dada. Security personnel reportedly navigated the difficult terrains on foot, motorcycles, and operational vehicles while searching for hideouts used by kidnappers.
During the exercise, suspected criminal camps were destroyed and set ablaze, while two suspected kidnappers were arrested.
The Commander of the Amotekun Corps, Adetunji Adeleye, described the operation as part of a sustained effort to eliminate criminal elements from the state.
According to him, the mission sends a strong warning to criminals that there will be no safe haven for them anywhere in Ondo.
The latest operation follows a series of recent arrests by the Ondo State Police Command linked to kidnapping incidents in the state.
Police spokesperson Abayomi Jimoh had earlier confirmed the arrest of three suspects—Mohammed Koro (27), Muhammad Usman (30), and Musa Alhaji (23)—in connection with a kidnapping incident captured on CCTV footage.
The suspects were linked to the abduction of a woman along Pelebe Road in Oda, located in Akure South Local Government Area, where gunmen shot her husband before forcibly taking her away.
Authorities say the ongoing forest operations and arrests are part of broader security measures to restore safety and confidence among residents across the state
