In a chilling revelation that highlights the evolving tactics of criminal syndicates, the Ondo State Security Network Agency—popularly known as the Amotekun Corps—has uncovered a syndicate of criminals disguising themselves as mentally unstable individuals to facilitate kidnappings and armed robberies.

Parading a massive haul of 98 suspected criminals at the agency's headquarters in Akure, Amotekun Commander Akogun Adetunji Adeleye warned residents that criminals are finding creative, deeply deceptive ways to blend into public spaces.

The Deceptive Tactic: Madness as a Monitored Front

Among the paraded suspects was a man caught pretending to be a lunatic. Far from being a harmless vagrant, intelligence reports revealed that the individual was part of an organized network operating as the eyes and ears of kidnappers and drug traffickers.

Adeleye detailed how plainclothes Amotekun operatives cracked the ruse by tracking the suspects' actual daily routines behind closed doors:

  • The Public Front: Wandering public streets, acting erratic, and pretending to be mentally unstable to scout targets, gauge security presence, and map out escape routes without raising suspicion.

  • The Secret Routine: Tracking teams observed the "lunatics" retiring to secluded areas where they would dropped the act, change into clean clothes, use hidden power outlets to charge premium smartphones, and call criminal kingpins to coordinate logistics.

"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." — Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, Amotekun Commander

A Major Breakthrough: 98 Arrested, Ransom-Free Rescue

The unmasking of the fake vagrants is part of a broader, statewide security sweep. Out of the 98 suspects arrested for various offenses ranging from drug peddling to housebreaking:

  • 60 suspects have already been processed and are facing active prosecution in court.

  • 38 minor cases were successfully resolved using Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms.

  • 10 individuals were caught red-handed directly at kidnapping scenes while attempting to drag victims away.

The Amotekun Commander also shared a major operational victory involving a couple abducted in the Iluabo community. Upon receiving a distress call, a rapid response team penetrated the local forest reserves. Operatives successfully rescued the wife during the initial push, and a relentless overnight tactical operation forced the kidnappers to abandon her husband as well. Both were reunited with their family without a single naira paid in ransom.

Why Crime is Spilling Into the South-West

Addressing the root cause of the current security pressures, Adeleye attributed the spike in high-stakes crime to aggressive military operations happening in the northern parts of Nigeria.

As security forces turn up the heat in northern forests, fleeing bandits and criminal syndicates are migrating southward, attempting to establish new cells in the dense forest terrain of the South-West.

The Amotekun Corps urged members of the public to remain highly vigilant and to look past appearances. If you notice "destitute" individuals consistently loitering near corporate buildings, high-value residences, or changing their behaviors suspiciously, report it immediately to local security channels.