The Amotekun Corps has revealed that a suspected armed bandit, terrorising motorists between the border towns of Ondo State, was severely macheted by his gang member while trying to confess to his crime and reveal their strategy. 

The corps commander in the state, Adetunji Adeleye, made the disclosure while parading 45 suspects arrested for different crimes in the nooks and crannies of the state. 

Mr Adeleye said his men were able to arrest the suspected bandit following intel, stressing that his men broke into the den of the syndicate in the Akoko LGA of the state. 

“In our effort to bring them out, the kidnapper that already confessed was macheted in several places by his fellow kidnapper who wanted to cover up the crime. The officers of the corps rushed the kidnapper to the hospital and he was treated.

“This kidnap syndicate has confessed to several kidnapping activities in Akoko, Kogi and Edo areas. And we are still looking for their sponsor who is at large,” he said on Wednesday in Akure.  

Noting that there’s no hidden place for criminals in the state, the Amotekun boss said other suspects were nabbed for various criminal offences across the 18 LGAs in the state. 

He listed them to include suspects, who were arrested for burglary cases, anti-grazing, and disruption of public peace, stating that others were nabbed for stealing and buying stolen goods. 

According to Mr Adeleye, some of the arrested suspects whose offences do not attract capital punishment have been granted “amnesty” by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa. 

He disclosed that those released had been handed over to their next of kin for rehabilitation with strict warnings to avoid going into crime. 

“In the spirit of the festive period, the governor has directed that 28 of them (suspects) having been profiled as first-time offenders whose offences are not of capital punishment, are to be released to their next of kin for rehabilitation with a strict warning not to perpetrate such acts again. 

“The remaining will face the full wrath of the law for committing such crimes because we have profiled them. So, we are reassuring the people that there is no hiding place for criminals in Ondo State,” Mr Adeleye added.