May 3, 2021

The Ondo State Security Network Agency, Amotekun Corps has appealed to  residents of Okitipupa to remain calm following the report of apprehension over a purported security threat in the town after 42 men from Jigawa and Kano states were apprehended.

The Commander of the corps, Adetunji Adeleye, made the plea on Sunday while briefing reporters in Akure, the state capital.

“We feel that we should let the good people of Ondo State know that there is no crisis in Okitipupa Local Government Area,” he said.

There has been apprehension in Okitipupa after reports emerged that dozens of men from the northern part of the country were brought to the town at night.

In a bid to calm the tension, Amotekun operatives were said to have mobilised to the town after which the visitors were moved to the headquarters of the security outfit in Akure for profiling.

Upon interrogation, it was discovered that the persons were brought to the town for employment by a non-profit organisation.

He stated that their sponsors claimed that they were brought to the state for training after which they would be deployed as security officials.

“The mission that they claimed they came for, we found out that it was not too clear and upon profiling, we found out that majority of them do not know how they got to where they got to; all they were told was that they were going for training.

“From detailed investigation, we were able to narrow it down to the sponsors and they also claimed to belong to an NGO. Right now, we look at them as a security risk to the state,” said the Amotekun boss.

He added, “The way it was portrayed, it was as if some militants or hoodlums have taken over (Okitipupa). For the good people of Okitipupa Local Government, we want to assure them that we are firmly on the ground in conjunction with other security agencies.

“There is no problem, and people should go about their businesses normally. We are not leaving anything untouched.”

From the Amotekun office, the visitors were escorted to a boundary with a neighbouring state, from where they were asked to find their way to their various destinations.