Amotekun Arrests 18 year old led criminal gang in Enugu

Amotekun Arrests 18 year old led criminal gang in Enugu

Operatives of the Amotekun Corps in Ondo State have bursted a criminal gang led by 18-year-old Akinyemi Abiodun.

The gang operates between Ore and Okitipupa axis of the state, and specialise in snatching tricycles. They were arrested after selling a tricycle for N300,000 in Lagos State.

Abiodun, who spoke when paraded at the Amotekun headquarters, said one Emmanuel bought the ‘ tricycle from them.

He said: “We snatched the tricycle from the owner in the Ore-Okitipupa area. We drove it down to Lagos and sold it at N300,000 to one Mr. Emmanuel before we were tracked and caught by the Amotekun men”.

Commander of the Ondo Amotekun Corps, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, said members of the gang were arrested through the use of technology.

According to Adeleye, 80 suspects were arrested for offences ranging from murder, theft, kidnapping, among others.

He hinted that some of the herders who destroyed a N10 million cassava farm owned by a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Eddy Olafeso, have also been arrested, while some were arrested for violating the anti-open grazing laws. He added that the perpetrators would be prosecuted.

The state has also recorded 106 cases of Lassa Fever and eight deaths this year, Special Adviser to the governor on Health Prof. Francis Faduyile said.

Faduyile, in an interview on Sunday, said the confirmed cases were in six local governments of Owo, Akure North, Akure South, Ose, Akoko South-West and Idanre. He explained that the prevalent period of the disease was during the dry season and part of the rainy season when farmers were cultivating.

According to him, Owo has the highest cases of 68, Akure North (13), Akure South (11), Ose(9), Akoko South-West(5) and Idanre (1).

He added: “Between January 1 and 23, we have had 268 suspected cases of Lassa Fever, 106 confirmed cases and unfortunately eight deaths. The farmers, during this period, will do a lot of bush burning which forces the rats to leave their natural habitats to a safer place; a lot of them tend to come towards homes in that surrounding.

“The first way to prevent Lassa Fever is to stop bush burning, and we have sensitised against this.”

Faduyile, who advised people not put their foods where rats can have access to, added: “We have observed that some of our cultural activities, like spreading cassava on the road to dry, are harmful because rats can come around eat out of the cassava and drop faeces or urine on it.

“We have also observed that our hygiene, if not well improved, can attract rats because they are scavengers.”