The Ondo State Security Network, also known as Amotekun, said it recorded 500 distress calls between January and March, indicating a high number of criminal activities in the state during that period.
The Commander of the security outfit, Adetunji Adeleye, said this on Wednesday in Akure, the state capital, while parading 31 suspected criminals.
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The state has recently witnessed a surge in violent crimes, particularly kidnappings and herdsmen attacks on farmers, which have resulted in fatalities.
Such attacks had prompted protests by youth, farmers, and women’s groups, which called the government’s attention to the precarious security situation.
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Mr Adeleye said the command profiled 750 suspected criminals and charged 175 among them to court during the period under review.
Some of the offences, he said, included armed robbery, kidnapping, and stealing.
Mr Adeleye said the feat was achieved through joint operations by security agencies in the state.
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He said, “A joint operation with other security agencies has stemmed the rising kidnap incidents and attacks on farmers by armed herdsmen in farmsteads in the state.”
Mr Adeleye further said that the populace’s support contributed to the achievements so far, noting that timely information from the people assisted them greatly in nabbing some of the suspects and preventing some from carrying out their heinous plans.
According to the Amotekun commander, 114 persons were arrested in trucks and were promptly repatriated.
“The Amotekun Rangers intercepted persons who entered the state’s forests without a specific destination within the period under review,” he said.
He added that all those who do not have credible reasons to remain in the forest were rejected and sent back to their various states.
On cultism, the commander said out of 150 suspected cultists arrested and profiled during the quarter, 80 among them were taken to court to sign an undertaking to denounce the groups.
However, he disclosed that besides the 175 suspects arraigned, others were still undergoing different stages of investigation.
He explained that among the fresh 31 crime suspects being paraded, 13 of them were allegedly linked to the series of kidnap incidents that had taken place in the state in recent times.
Meanwhile, to enhance its ability to tackle serious security threats and other forms of violent crimes across Ondo State, the police have engaged officers in a three-day intensive training on basic intelligence course.
The three-day intensive training program themed “Basic Intelligence Course” was explicitly designed to equip and prepare personnel of the command in combating violent crimes, including kidnapping for ransom, armed robbery, murder, cultism, arson, among other heinous crimes.
While declaring the training open at OSDPC hall, Ijapo Estate, Akure, Commissioner of Police, Wilfred Afolabi, stated that the training marked a crucial step in the command’s strategic pursuit of operational excellence and community safety.
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He explained that “it is aimed at equipping officers with practical knowledge on intelligence gathering and utilisation but also at repositioning the Ondo State Police Command to be more proactive, responsive, and trusted by the communities they serve.”
“To this end, this Basic Intelligence Course is structured to be practical and impactful. Resource persons will guide our officers on writing clear and actionable intelligence reports, and each participant will be expected to submit daily intelligence inputs to a dedicated number. This real-time flow of information will enable the command to identify emerging security challenges early and respond appropriately,” Mr Afolabi said.
The training is the third in a series of strategic capacity-building initiatives the CP has championed.
The earlier trainings bordered on Crime Mapping, Nipping, Crime Timing, and Effective Investigation and Prosecution.
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