The Ondo State Security Network Agency says it has rescued a kidnap victim and arrested a father and his three sons at Oba-Ile Akoko in the Akoko South West council area.

Adetunji Adeleye, Amotekun Corps commander, made the disclosure while parading 28 suspects for kidnap-related cases and 15 others for criminal offences on Tuesday in Akure.

‎”Today, we have Usman, 33; Wahab, 27; Yakubu, 18; and their father, Iliasu, 56, arrested in Oba Akoko, Ondo state. Not only that, we equally recovered drugs, drinks, cigarettes and what looked like a camouflage used to cover the eyes of the kidnap victim,” he said.

Mr Adeleye explained that the suspects were arrested after the victim’s family reported the incident to the command.

The Amotekun commander, who said that the victim was kidnapped on his way to Oba Akoko, explained that the family arranged ransom without informing Amotekun.

“In spite of the ransom payment, the kidnappers refused to release the victim. They also threatened the family not to report the incident. This eventually brought the family to the Amotekun office, and we immediately swung into action. ‎

“At the end of the day, we found a family, a father and three sons directly involved, using cattle as cover. In the course of the operation, they (kidnappers) attacked our men, but we succeeded in rescuing the victim,” he said.

Mr Adeleye also said the kidnappers tortured the victim with knives and cutlasses on the head, while the victim had been rushed to a nearby hospital.

According to him, Amotekun personnel recovered over 75 per cent of the ransom paid. ‎

“As far as the command is concerned, we do not encourage the payment of ransom. Since the money belongs to the family, it has been returned to them.
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“In fact, we handed over all the money recovered at the scene to a member of the victim’s family for safekeeping, and we only brought it here for display,” he said.

(NAN)