Akure, Ondo State (Nigeria): In a striking revelation, the Ondo State Commander of the Amotekun Corps, Mr. Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed that Amotekun operatives apprehended 80% of convicts currently held in the state’s correctional centres.
Mr Adetunji Adeleye, State Commander of the Corps, said this on Sunday in Akure in an interview with reporters.
Adeleye stated that the turnover of criminals arrested by Amotekun had outgrown the existing judicial system’s capacity, prompting an approach to the judiciary, which led to a significant number of convictions.
“We not only investigate, but the law permits us to investigate and prosecute. We conduct thorough investigations, take the criminals to the courts of competent jurisdiction, and prosecute them.
“As of today, so many of these convicts are in various correctional centres in the state, and those criminals we prosecute are much more numerous than other agencies,” he stated.
The commander also said Ondo State used to witness a high rate of crime before the advent of Amotekun.
“Before the inauguration of the Amotekun Corps in Ondo State, it was impossible for you to go to the bank and get home without that money being snatched.
“Commercial activities from 6.00 p.m. were impossible. So, I advised at that time that the government should ban the use of Okada at night.
“We found out from our survey that more than 70 per cent of crime perpetrated was either getting there with an Okada or getting out with an Okada. So it becomes challenging to track and trace them.
“I can tell you that when we took that decision and enforced it to the letter, criminal activities in the state, especially in the metropolis, dropped by more than 80 per cent.
“Yes, it came with some hardship, but you can’t eat your cake and have it. We followed suit with a ban on tinted vehicles and unregistered vehicles.
“That helped to reduce the criminal activities in the state drastically,” he said.