The arrest was carried out on Wednesday following intelligence reports that triggered alarm within communities in Oye Local Government Area of the state.
The Ekiti State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun Corps, Oye Local Government Command, has arrested no fewer than 16 suspected bandits from Kwara State, who were allegedly attempting to relocate into Ekiti State to evade security crackdowns.
The arrest was carried out on Wednesday following intelligence reports that triggered alarm within communities in Oye Local Government Area of the state.
This was disclosed in a statement signed and made available to journalists by the Director of Information of the Ekiti State Amotekun Corps, Mr. Adeleye.
According to the statement, the suspects were sighted in large numbers with their cattle around the Gede Farm settlement in Isan-Ekiti.
Community members, alarmed by the unusual movement and presence of the suspected bandits, promptly alerted the Amotekun operatives in Oye Local Government.
This led to the deployment of reinforcements from other Amotekun outposts within the council area to contain the situation.
The statement noted that the coordinated efforts of the operatives resulted in the successful arrest of all 16 suspects without any recorded resistance.
The suspects confessed that they fled from Kwara State following intensified security operations and crackdowns on banditry in the state.
They also admitted to their involvement in cattle rustling activities, particularly targeting cattle owned by residents of Kwara State.
Items recovered from the suspects include an undisclosed sum of cash, seven Tecno mobile phones, various charms suspected to be used for criminal purposes, three Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) identity cards, and several herds of cattle.
The Amotekun Corps added that preliminary investigations suggested the suspects were attempting to establish a new base within Ekiti State after facing sustained pressure from security agencies in Kwara.
The arrested suspects have since been handed over to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Ekiti State Police Command in Ado-Ekiti for further investigation and possible prosecution.