It was learnt that they were arrested after selling a tricycle for N300,000 in Lagos State.
A criminal gang led by an 18-year-old man identified as Akinyemi Abiodun has been arrested by the operatives of the Amotekun Corps in Ondo State.
It was learnt that they were arrested after selling a tricycle for N300,000 in Lagos State.
The gang were said to be operating between the Ore and Okitipupa areas of the state and specialising in snatching tricycles, The PUNCH reports.
Speaking when he was paraded, at the Amotekun headquarters, Abiodun said one Emmanuel bought the ‘ tricycle from them.
He said: “We snatched the tricycle from the owner in the Ore-Okitipupa area. We drove it down to Lagos and sold it at N300,000 to one Mr. Emmanuel before we were tracked and caught by the Amotekun men.”
However, the Commander of the Ondo Amotekun Corps, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, said members of the gang were arrested with the aid of technology, adding that 80 suspects were arrested for offences including murder, theft, and kidnapping.
Adeleye explained that some of the herders who destroyed a cassava farm worth N10 million and owned by a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Eddy Olafeso, have also been arrested, while some were arrested for violating the anti-open grazing laws. He added that the perpetrators would be prosecuted.
It was said that the suspects were arrested at different locations across the 18 local government areas of the state since the beginning of 2023.
Adeleye said 32 of the suspects have been charged to court while investigations were ongoing on some of the cases pertaining to the suspects.
He said, “In the last three weeks, 80 criminals were arrested. In the last one week, about 32 were taken to court for prosecution, investigations are going on in most of these ones and some of them at the end of the day were found to be victims of circumstances, like those that come out without a means of identification at odd hours and were found where they are not supposed to be.
“Those ones upon proper interrogation were released to go while some were released on bail.
“But what we have here is about 36 men and women engaged in various criminal activities ranging from murder, to anti-grazing, stealing of motorcycles, stealing of grinding machine, stealing of Keke Napep, stealing of various household equipment including generators, and armed robbery.
“Majority of these ones have concluded the investigations, and one of them will be going to court early in the week next (this) week. This is what we have been able to put together since the last three weeks.
“A criminal is a criminal, regardless of where they come from. We don’t want to give colour to criminality, a criminal is a criminal.
“Once you engage in criminal activities, the signal we are sending is that Ondo State is a place where you can’t thrive as a criminal. The criminals should better leave Ondo State, not only within the town but within the forest.
“Some of these criminals were arrested right inside the forest. Again, the anti-open grazing law is in force in Ondo State where we discouraged the use of underage for grazing, especially when they engage in the destruction of farm products.
“Some of them engaged in very massive destruction. We arrested some of those that were engaged in the destruction of one of the principal officers of PDP that went viral, saying that his farm was destroyed. We caught them and we brought them to book.”