Amotekun nabs “fake madman” working for kidnappers, 97 others in Ondo sweep

The Ondo State Security Network Agency, Amotekun, says it has arrested a man who pretended to be mentally ill to work for kidnappers and armed robbers, alongside 97 other suspected criminals.

Amotekun Commander Adetunji Adeleye disclosed this in Akure on Friday while parading the suspects. He said operatives uncovered a new tactic where criminals disguise as lunatics to avoid suspicion while gathering intelligence, trafficking drugs, and coordinating robberies and kidnappings across the state.

“Our intelligence and plainclothes officers monitored and tracked them to places where they charged their phones, changed clothes, and coordinated operations before they were arrested,” Adeleye said.

He said 60 suspects are already facing prosecution, 38 cases were resolved through Alternative Dispute Resolution, and 13 others are still under investigation. Ten people were arrested at kidnapping scenes or while attempting abductions.

Adeleye also recounted how Amotekun rescued a kidnapped couple in Iluwabu community without ransom. After receiving distress information, the rapid response team moved into the forest, rescued the wife first, and freed her husband in an overnight operation.

He blamed the recent rise in kidnappings on pressure from criminal gangs fleeing northern Nigeria.