Amotekun Arrests 16 Suspected Bandits Attempting To Relocate To Ekiti From Kwara

The Ekiti State Security Network Agency, Amotekun Corps, Oye Local Government Command, has arrested 16 individuals suspected of banditry, who allegedly attempted to infiltrate the state from neighboring Kwara.

According to a statement by the command’s Director of Information, Abiodun Adeleye, in Ado Ekiti, the suspects were apprehended following intelligence from residents of Isan community in Oye Local Government Area.

“They were sighted with cattle around Gede Farm settlement in Isan-Ekiti, causing panic in the agrarian community,” Adeleye said.

The statement added that additional Amotekun operatives were deployed to Oye, leading to the successful arrest of the bandits. Upon interrogation, the suspects admitted fleeing from Kwara State due to intensified security operations and crackdowns on banditry. They also confessed to involvement in cattle rustling, particularly targeting cattle belonging to residents of Kwara State.

Items recovered from the suspects included 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.

Preliminary investigations suggested that the suspects intended to establish a new base in Ekiti after facing sustained pressure from security agencies in Kwara. The arrested individuals have been handed over to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Ekiti State Police Command in Ado-Ekiti for further investigation and possible prosecution.

Security agencies in the southwest have recently intensified operations following attacks in Oyo State. On January 18, Ondo State’s Amotekun arrested 32 suspected kidnappers and criminals, including a group allegedly involved in killing cattle belonging to their Fulani employer.