The Ondo State Security Network Agency also known as Amotekun Corps has arrested no fewer than 31 suspected criminals at different locations across the state.
The suspects were paraded at the headquarters of the corps in Akure, the state capital, on Wednesday.
The Corps Commander, Adetunji Adeleye, told journalists that the suspects were arrested for different criminal activities, including rape, violation of anti-grazing law, kidnapping, armed robbery and murder among others.
Adeleye urged residents of the state to be security conscious and be on the lookout for herdsmen who he said were attempting to flood forests in the state.
He disclosed that about 9,000 herdsmen attempted to enter the state through the border communities in Edo, Kogi and Ekiti States with a large number of cattle to perpetrate crimes recently, but were sent back.
He said, “The reality is that in the last month, we have a very heavy annoying unusual influx of herdsmen into the state. We have to drive them back to where they came from.
“In the last month, we are confronted with over 9,000 herders against the laws of the land.”
Adeleye said only herdsmen who registered with the state government would be allowed in the state.
“The trend has been on for a long time, especially in the last month, but we are now working on different modalities of ensuring that herders that are legitimate to be in the state are here.
“The ones who are criminals and are not supposed to be in the state are driven out of our forests. Also, we are making efforts towards the border towns because we noticed that those that found their ways now to Ondo are through Ekiti State,” he added.
Adeleye who said the corps was determined to make the region uncomfortable for criminals, added that all the suspects paraded would be charged.
