Woman dies in kidnappers’ den in Ondo forest before Amotekun’s rescue

By Adetokunbo Abiola

A woman died just before operatives of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun Corps,  rescued her  and other victims from the den of kidnappers in a forest in Ondo State.

The Corps Commander of the Ondo State Amotekun Corps, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed this while parading 14 suspects arrested for various offences before journalists in the state.

The woman died just before assistance arrived, but two victims were reportedly rescued  following the 72-hour intelligence driven operation.

According to Adeleye, the operation followed a distress call on the abduction of two persons in Oke-Igbo, prompting nine members of the special squad to immediately mobilise to the area, along with officials of the Department of State Services (DSS), in a joint tracking operation.

Adeleye said through the combined use of intelligence gathering, bush combing and non-kinetic strategies, the team discovered the victims deep inside a forest reserve, several kilometres from the scene of the abduction.

He said: “Several kilometres away from the scene of the crime, we successfully secured the release of the two victims who were kidnapped in Oke-Igbo. Unfortunately one woman died before she could rescued.

“We developed non-kinetic measures in addition to intelligence-driven bush combing, and this led to identifying them deep inside the forest.”

One of the rescued victims, 38-year old Adetan Adebanjo Adedayo, said he was abducted alongside the dead woman on August 3 in his farm in Oke-Igbo, when four armed men carrying AK-47 rifles approached him while he was attempting to reverse his vehicle, tied him up and led him into the forest.

Adeleye also disclosed that Amotekun operatives recently rescued two other kidnap victims in the Ala-Dada axis, after they were able to send a distress signal.

He said the operatives responded within minutes and secured the release of the victims from the forest.

The commander further announced the arrest of suspected kidnappers and cattle rustlers operating around Ore, Ode-Aye, Ofosu and Omotosho in Odigbo Local Government area.

He said the suspects were allegedly involved in the kidnapping and rustling of cattle belonging to Fulani herders, adding that some of the stolen animals were sold to buyers across the state at significantly reduced prices.

According to him, the suspects also have links with collaborators who are still at large, while security agencies are working to apprehend them.

Adeleye said two suspects, Akinlolu and Akintimi, were arrested for alleged illegal possession of firearms, while another suspect, identified as Jamiu, was arrested for allegedly vandalising buildings under construction and stealing electrical cables, plumbing installations and other building materials