The Lucky Aiyedatiwa-led government in Ondo State has said it would stop the activities of scavengers in Akure, the state capital, and environs.
It said the move was due to incessant vandalism of public infrastructure and the recent discovery that some scavengers acted as informants to bandits, kidnappers, and armed robbers.
Commander of the Ondo Amotekun Corps, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed this while parading 31 suspects arrested for various crimes ranging from kidnappings, vandalism, armed robbery, rape and murder.
Among those arrested were 13 suspected kidnappers linked to the abduction of high-profile individuals in the state.
Akogun Adeleye said the Ondo Amotekun Corps arrested over 750 suspects across the state in the first quarter of 2025.
Adeleye said 175 of the suspects have been arraigned, while others were still under investigation.
He said the recently launched Operation Dada by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa helped to stem rising kidnapping incidents and attacks on farmers by kidnappers.
Adeleye said the Corps received over 500 distress calls within the period under review and responded appropriately.
According to him, “The state government is working on banning activities of scavengers. Many of them have been discovered to be working for bandits, kidnappers, and armed robbers.
“Credible information provided led to the interception of 114 persons who were planning to stay in our forest. They have been sent back to their various states.
“We successfully returned the $5000 recovered from a syndicate that specialized in defrauding unsuspecting persons from Ghana.
“A total of 28 Ghanaians were among several victims of the scam, and they have been advised to return to their country.”
Credit: thenationonlineng.net
