The Ekiti State Security Network Agency, Amotekun Corps, has arrested 16 persons suspected to be bandits who allegedly attempted to enter Ekiti State from neighbouring Kwara State.
The suspects were apprehended by operatives of the Amotekun Corps, Oye Local Government Command, following intelligence reports from residents of Gede Farm settlement in Isan-Ekiti.
A statement issued on Thursday by the Director of Information of the Corps, Mr. Adeleye, said tension gripped the community after residents noticed a large number of unfamiliar individuals moving around the area with herds of cattle.
According to the statement, the unusual movement caused panic among residents and disrupted normal activities, prompting the Oye Command to alert other nearby Amotekun units.
The statement noted that additional operatives were immediately deployed to the area, leading to a coordinated operation that resulted in the interception and arrest of the suspects.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects allegedly fled Kwara State due to intensified security operations against banditry. During interrogation, they reportedly confessed to involvement in cattle rustling, with some of the recovered cows said to have been stolen from residents of Kwara State.
Items recovered from the suspects include cash, seven Tecno mobile phones, assorted charms, three identity cards belonging to the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN), and several cows.
The Amotekun Corps disclosed that the suspects, alongside the recovered exhibits, have been handed over to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Ekiti State Police Command in Ado-Ekiti for further investigation and prosecution.
