Amotekun Arrests Four, Rescues Kidnap Victims After Intense Forest Shootout in Ondo

The Ondo State Security Network, Amotekun, has arrested four suspects linked to kidnapping, attempted abduction, and fraud following a series of coordinated operations across the state.

Parading the suspects in Akure, the state capital, the Corps Commander, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, said the arrests were made within 48 hours under Operation Le Won Jade, supported by the Border Patrol team and the ongoing 24/7 ember-month security watch.

Adeleye explained that operatives responded to reports of heavy gunfire inside a forest, prompting the deployment of a rapid response squad that joined forces with local security groups.

“On entering the forest, our officers came under intense attack,” he said. “At the end of the operation, we successfully rescued four of the five kidnapped passengers, although the bus driver was tragically shot when the attackers attempted to stop the vehicle.”

The three-hour operation involved a detailed combing of the forest, where the victims—including three women and the bus conductor—were rescued. One of the women, who sustained gunshot injuries before Amotekun’s arrival, received prompt medical attention at the corps’ health facility.

Two of the suspected kidnappers, believed to have fired at officers and killed the bus driver, were arrested at the scene.

In another incident, Amotekun operatives foiled an attempted abduction of a female correctional service officer. Adeleye said the suspects had posed as visitors to inmates and pretended to assist the officer into town before attempting to kidnap her. She escaped after raising an alarm near the Amotekun outpost at Cathedral Junction, where operatives quickly intervened and arrested the suspects.

Another suspect was also paraded for allegedly defrauding his employer of ₦77.2 million, attempting to sell her property, and issuing threats to her safety.

Adeleye noted that Amotekun’s partnership with the military, police, DSS, civil defence, vigilantes, and local hunters has strengthened regional security coordination. He assured residents that major roads, communities, and public spaces across the Southwest are receiving increased surveillance to maintain public safety.