The Ondo state security outfit codenamed, Amotekun, has raised the alarm that over 9000 illegal herders have sneaked into the state within a month
Commander of the security outfit, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, said this in Akure, the state capital while parading 31 suspected criminals.
Adeleye said that the herders found their way into the state through the border towns.
He added that the herders always entered the state through the border towns in the dead of night.
Adeleye who expressed worry at the sudden influx of the herders, lamented that they “always masquerade in different forms of criminal” to enter the state.
“The reality is that in the last month, we have a very heavy annoying unusual influx of herdsmen to the state. We have to drive them back to where they came from.
“As of yesterday, we are confronted with over 9000 herders against the laws of the land.
“They moved them in the midnight and they masquerade as different forms of criminals,”
” The herders always came into Ondo through the border communities in Edo, Kogi and now Ekiti states with large numbers of cattle all sort of perpetrate crimes.
” We were able to notice that the herders will always come to Ondo through trucks with loads and would refuse security patrol to search them.
“So, the trend has been on for a long time, especially in the last month but we’re now working on different modalities of ensuring that herders that are legitimate to be in the state are there.
“And the ones who are criminals and are not supposed to be in the state are driven out of our forest.
” Also, we are making efforts towards the border towns of state because we notice that those that find their way now to Ondo is through Ekiti state.
Speaking on the 31 suspects paraded, the Commander said that they were apprehended for crimes ranging from kidnapping, rape, burglary, rituals, stealing, arson and illegal possession of firearms among several others.
Adeleye said that many of the suspects were arrested mostly during the Easter holidays in various locations of Ondo, adding that they would soon be charged to court for prosecution.
(VANGUARD)
