The Ondo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun Corps, has arrested four persons over an alleged self-kidnapping plot and the spread of false information on social media in Akure North Local Government Area.
The Corps Commander, Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed this on Monday while parading 53 suspects arrested for various offences across the state.
Adeleye said the suspects allegedly staged a fake kidnapping and misled security agencies and members of the public through false reports circulated on social media.
He said preliminary investigations showed that one of the persons who reported the alleged abduction was an accomplice in the scheme.
“We have four people here today that commit self-kidnapping and raise false alarms using social media. We moved in and we were able to arrest the first two.
“Upon detailed investigation, we found out that the man who rushed to the Amotekun Corps office to report that his siblings were kidnapped turned out to be an accomplice.
“And upon detailed scrutiny, he led us to his home where we found the man they claimed had been kidnapped,” Adeleye said.
The commander warned residents against spreading unverified information capable of causing panic, stressing that the corps would continue to investigate and prosecute those involved in criminal deception.
He said the wider operation also resulted in the arrest of suspects linked to kidnapping, murder, cultism, rape, cattle rustling, impersonation, theft and conspiracy.
Adeleye added that 21 suspected illegal immigrants were arrested in Owo for allegedly suspicious activities, with many reportedly lacking required ECOWAS travel documents. He said they would be handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service for further investigation.
The commander also disclosed that Amotekun operatives disrupted a diesel theft syndicate allegedly diverting petroleum products worth millions of naira from a construction firm and quarry site along Ondo Road, Akure.
He reiterated the corps’ commitment to tackling crime across the state and urged residents to provide timely and actionable intelligence to security agencies.