The Ondo State Security Network Agency, Amotekun Corps, has arrested 98 suspected criminals, including an individual who was allegedly disguised as mentally unstable person to aid kidnapping and robbery operations in the state.

The Corps Commander, Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed this on Sunday while parading the suspects at the agency’s headquarters in Akure, the state capital.

Mr Adeleye said the arrests followed a series of operations targeting kidnapping, robbery, drug trafficking and other criminal activities in different parts of the state.

He said 60 of the suspects are currently being prosecuted in courts of competent jurisdiction, while 38 cases were resolved through the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism.

According to him, 13 other suspects are undergoing investigation and interrogation ahead of prosecution.

The commander added that 10 suspects were arrested either at kidnapping scenes or while attempting to abduct victims.

Mr Adeleye said investigations uncovered a pattern in which some suspects pretended to be mentally unstable to avoid detection while carrying out criminal activities.

He said the suspects were involved in drug trafficking, intelligence gathering for kidnappers, robbery and other offences.

“Our intelligence and plainclothes officers monitored and tracked them to locations where they charged their phones, changed clothes and coordinated operations before they were arrested,” he said.

He also disclosed that operatives of the corps rescued a kidnapped couple in Iluwabu community without payment of ransom.

Mr Adeleye said the agency’s rapid response team moved into the forest following a distress call, rescuing the woman, while a sustained overnight operation secured the release of her husband.

“We reunited the family without any ransom payment or negotiation,” he said.

The commander attributed the recent rise in kidnapping and related crimes to pressure on criminal elements fleeing from the northern parts of the country.

He, however, assured residents that Ondo State remains safe, noting that joint operations involving the military, police, Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have been intensified, particularly in forest areas.

“Our forests are no longer safe havens for criminals. Security agencies are working together to protect lives and property,” he said.

Mr Adeleye, however, urged residents to continue providing credible intelligence to security agencies, assuring that such information would be treated with confidentiality. (The Nation, excluding headline)

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