The Western Nigeria Security Network (codenamed Amotekun) has arrested 149 suspected criminals at different black spots within three local government areas of Ondo State.

Commander of Amotekun in Ondo State, Adetunji Adeleye, made the disclosure on Tuesday while parading the suspects before journalists.

He said that the majority of the suspects claimed that they came into the state as hunters.

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.

“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 various parts of the country. The pertinent question 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 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 the relevant government agencies for detailed profiling.

“The government is 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,” he said.

(NAN)