DAMISI OJO, Akure
The Commander of the Ondo state Security Agency, otherwise known as Amotekun Corps Chief Adetunji Adeleye at the weekend gave graphic details of how they arrested no fewer than 18 suspected bandits with dangerous weapons.
The suspects, he said were coming from Michi in Katsina State in a Toyota Hummer Bus loaded with guns and over 500 different kinds of daggers, swords, poisoned jack knives and live ammunition wrapped in bags filled with tiger nuts.
Adeleye said the bandits were pursued down to Ondo town, before they were eventually apprehended.
Parading the suspects to reporters at the Amotekun Headquarters in Akure, the Commander said two of the three buses that arrived the state from Katsina escaped after hot chase from Akure.
However, frantic efforts by a joint of Amotekun corps and the state police command led to the arrest of one of the buses and its occupants in Ondo town.
Adeleye said the intelligence report on the movement of the bandits before entering the state hugely assisted the joint operation leading to their arrest.
According to him, information got to them that a group of people were coming to invade the state, which prompted them to set out our monitoring devices.
His words, ”When it was precisely 1:30am on Thursday, we saw three hummer buses that we had actually been trailing till they entered the state. They had a brief stop just before they entered. We tried to stop them but the three buses escaped.
“We have to reach our control points and we were able to bring the three buses to a stop at a point on Ondo road. It was a combined team of Amotekun, police and civil defence personnel.
The Security expert said the buses attempted to crush the security personnel and speed off saying “We realised that it would be difficult and dangerous pursuing them and we decided that we should not cause any accident.
Adeleye hinted that they later sent radio message to their station at Owena which enabled security men there to block the road for all vehicles.
But surprisingly he said, the bandits were able to escape by hitting the barricades again until they pursued them to Ile-Oluji junction where they had blocked the road solidly, but still they escaped.
The Amotekun Commander added that they consequently blocked the road fully before Akure garage in Ondo town and lucky to arrest them.
In the bags they found with the suspected bandits were some guns and rounds of ammunition.
Under the seat, were about 500 different types and sizes of dagger and poisonous jack knives that were perfectly concealed.
The bandits said they were just given instructions to go to Ondo state by unnamed personalities who promised to give them further instructions when they get to their destination.
Adeleye however promised that the two other buses that escaped with their occupants would be arrested and charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.
