Operatives of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, popularly known as the Amotekun Corps, have arrested 39 suspected terrorists who were hiding in a forest in the state.
The suspects were apprehended at the Elegbeka Forest in Ose Local Government Area during routine patrols by Amotekun operatives.
According to the Corps, the arrests followed intelligence gathered while operatives were tracking suspected kidnappers in the area.
The Ondo State Amotekun Commandant, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed this on Tuesday while parading 61 suspected criminals at the corps’ headquarters in Akure, the state capital.
Adeleye said preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects, aged between 18 and 45, claimed to have fled from different parts of the country due to sustained airstrikes against terrorist groups.
He added that the group had been camping deep inside the forest, with two vehicles parked some distance away from their hideout.
According to him, the presence of the suspects in what he described as a known security black spot raised serious concerns for the Command.
“A couple of days ago, 39 suspects were arrested altogether, claiming that as a result of the heat turned on them in the northern part of the country, they are relocating to the forest,” Adeleye said.
“They were not trekking. They were hibernating in the forest there, with two vehicles far away from them. So, we found out, trapped them, and located where they were all hiding. We brought them together.”
The Commandant noted that profiling of the suspects was nearing completion, stressing that those found without incriminating evidence may be released, while individuals found in possession of suspicious items would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
He reiterated the state government’s directive that anyone residing or operating within forest areas must obtain proper authorisation, adding that the sudden influx of unfamiliar elements into Ondo forests was a security concern that required thorough investigation.
“The government has made its position known: For you to stay in our forest areas, you must obtain permits. So, the sudden influx of these elements poses a lot of questions that we are still working on,” Adeleye said.
THE WHISTLER reports that a Yoruba socio-political group, Yoruba for Democratic Values (YDV), recently raised alarm over farmers abandoning their farmlands due to persistent attacks by bandits and criminal herders.
According to the group, forest reserves across Ondo, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Ogun and parts of Kwara have become sanctuaries for armed groups, forcing rural communities to flee and disrupting agricultural production.
These developments have serious economic implications. The South-West, long regarded as a stable agricultural and commercial hub, supplies significant quantities of staple crops to local and national markets.
It noted that continued insecurity in farming communities risks deepening food shortages, inflating prices and undermining livelihoods, making security an economic imperative as much as a safety concern.
“The South West has historically been a heartland of agriculture, trade, and culture. The region’s farmlands produce staples such as yams, cassava, plantains, and rice. The invasion of herders, bandits, and criminal herding networks is already undermining this agricultural productivity: some farmers have abandoned their fields, citing insecurity.
“This is deeply worrying: a sustained security threat in the Southwest would not only disrupt food production (risking local and national food supply) but also destabilise a region that has long contributed to Nigeria’s economic wellbeing. For decades, Yoruba lands have enjoyed relative peace; to allow this to be undermined is to threaten both the social and economic foundations of the region,” YDV said in a statement.
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