Nigeria Newspapers Online

The Amotekun security outfit has sent back at least 114 individuals, mostly from the northern part of the country in Ondo State. The security network accused them of illegally entering the state’s forests.

Adetunji Adeleye, the State Commander of Amotekun, while addressing the media on Sunday, confirmed that the individuals who were being transported in two trucks were bound for distribution across the state’s forest areas, including the Ore and Ofosu regions.

Adeleye explained that, over the past few weeks, security agencies had been engaged in intense operations to curb the infiltration of foreign individuals into the forests of Ondo State.

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He further stated that the state governor had issued a directive to evacuate all individuals who could not justify a legitimate reason for being in the state’s deep forests.

These individuals, Adeleye said, would be sent back to their places of origin.

“I want to make it clear that several weapons were recovered from them. These were locally made firearms that they used to carry out various criminal activities. Their modus operandi is to hide in the forests, launch attacks, and then retreat back into the woods,” Adeleye said .

“The group of over a hundred individuals was loaded into two trucks, intending to be scattered across the state’s forest belt, from the Ore area to Ofosu and beyond. We conducted a thorough profiling and found that, except for three of them, none knew where they were headed. They were simply sent into the forests, awaiting further instructions from their handlers.”

The Amotekun commander added that while Nigeria guarantees freedom of movement, it must be done with a legitimate purpose. He also said that the state governor had ordered their return to their places of origin.

Adeleye displayed some of the locally made weapons seized from the group during the operation.

In response to the development, the leader of the Hausa community in Ondo State, Bala Umaru, expressed gratitude to the government for prioritising the safety of residents and ensuring the safe return of the individuals to their home state.

The individuals have since been sent back to their respective locations across the country.