The Ondo State Security Network Agency, Amotekun Corps, has taken into custody 39 men suspected to be bandits who allegedly moved into the state from the North following recent military air operations in Sokoto State.
The suspects were intercepted in the forest around Elegbeka in Ose Local Government Area, an axis repeatedly linked to incidents of kidnapping and armed robbery in recent months.
Parading the suspects in Akure on Tuesday, the Amotekun State Commander, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, said the arrests formed part of a broader security operation carried out across the state during the festive period.
He explained that preliminary findings indicated the suspects attempted to settle in Ondo forests after pressure from intensified security actions in northern states, noting that all of them are currently being screened.
According to Adeleye, those cleared after profiling may be sent back to their states of origin, while individuals found with weapons or other suspicious items will face prosecution.
The commander added that the corps also arrested 61 other suspects for offences ranging from kidnapping and armed robbery to car theft, rape and breaches of the anti-open grazing law.
He said the operation underscored ongoing collaboration between Amotekun and other security agencies, while thanking the Ondo State Government for creating an enabling environment to sustain the crackdown on crime.