- Mr Adeleye said that the suspects were arrested with guns, bags of Indian hemp and cutlasses.
- He also said that the suspects were arrested where robbery and kidnapping usually occurred in the local governments.
Adetunji Adeleye, Ondo state commander of the south-west security network, code-named Amotekun, says no fewer than 149 suspected criminals have been arrested at different black spots within three LGAs areas of Ondo State.
Adeleye spoke while parading the suspects on Tuesday in Ondo.
According to him, the majority of the suspects claimed that they were hunters when they came into the state.
Adeleye said that the suspects were arrested with guns, bags of Indian hemp and cutlasses.
The Amotekun commander stated that the suspects were apprehended in areas where robbery and kidnapping were common in the local government.
“They surprisingly and carefully concealed and kept their weapons, bags of Indian hemp and cutlasses under their vehicles, and they claimed that they were coming from the various parts of the country”, he said
“The pertinent questions we are asking is: “Why are they hiding their guns?” If they are genuine hunters, why not come out openly?
“One begins to wonder why they would come from the extreme parts of the country to hunt in a village, in a forest they had never been to.
“We have very strong reasons to believe that they are the people that turn, at night, to kidnappers and armed robbers and commit various crimes, especially on the bad portions of the roads and in the forest reserves of the state,” he said.
According to him, every Nigerian has the right to go anywhere in the country, but does not have the right to go with weapons.
The commander said that after conclusion of investigations, the suspects would be taken to relevant government agencies for detailed profiling.
“The government is very clear that if you are a hunter and want to go into the forest, you have to register so that the government, the kings and the hunters will know that you are there.”