Amotekun arrests 168 suspected invaders hiding under cows in Ondo

The Ondo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun Corps, has arrested I68 suspected invaders in the state.

The suspects, who concealed themselves and over 40 motorcycles under cows, were loaded in two trucks into the state.

This is coming barely four days after the Amotekun operatives arrested about 151 suspected invaders in Ondo State.

Parading the suspects at the command headquarters on Monday, the state Commander of the corps, Adetunji Adeleye, said the suspects were intercepted on Sunday around Itaogbolu-Iju in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State.

Adeleye said the Amotekun operatives became suspicious of the movement of the suspects and stopped them only to discover some of them were hiding under the cows.

He added that investigation revealed that the suspects were coming from Kano and Jigawa states, claiming that they were picked in groups along the road and had no destination.

The Commander said: “On Sunday, our stop and search team saw these two trucks they told them that they were on their way to Ondo State with cows. After careful examination, we found out that they carefully concealed about 40 motorcycles with 168 people lying down beneath the motorcycles.

“The upper floor has cows, the middle has motorcycles wrapped and dismantled and on the lower floors, we have 168 people lying down, such that if you are not careful, you won’t observe it.

“So, we questioned where they were going and why they packed themselves and why they were avoiding people and they said they were coming to Ondo State.

“Upon interrogation, many of them do not have the address of where they are going, nobody invited them and we are becoming curious about these invasions. I called it invasion because you see over 100 able-bodied men concealing themselves under animals, it shows they are up to negative motives.

“After investigation and profiling, if it doesn’t find anything on them and as long as they don’t have anybody that is ready to take custody of them in Ondo state, the corps will send them back to their various states.

“We have commenced profiling but we want to warn citizens of the state to be wary of visitors because nobody knows how many of such invaders had managed to enter the system. We saw some of them with charms which we are yet to ascertain what the mission is.

“Those who own the motorcycles, they confessed that non of the motorbikes had papers and of course, they photocopied some papers but you can see one engine number in 30 motorcycles which clearly shows that they were forged documents.

“We will find out how they got the motorcycles and also find out their mission in Ondo State. If they don’t have any credible thing to do in the state, we will send them back,” Adeleye stated.

The Star