Operatives of Oyo State Security Network Agency comprising Amotekun Corps collaborating with Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) and Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) early Thursday morning nabbed six suspected bandits with 183 cows at Kajola local government of the state.
In another development 5 bandits were equally arrested in Saki East and handed over the Police in the area on the same day.
The suspected bandits, according to Amotekun Commandant in Oyo state, Col Olayinka Olayanju (rtd), were arrested along Okeho-Ilua and Okeho – Iseyin road at about 4am during a joint routine patrol on two separate routes within the local government area.
He said the suspected bandits were arrested in separate incidents following encounters at two illegally mounted road blocks after hot pursuit as the bandits were trying to escape from the scene to evade arrest.
“The bandits whose modus operandi is to pretend as herdsmen in the day and violently rob innocent passengers on the highways at night were caught with 183 cows, weapons and a total sum of N268, 470.00,” he said.
By Amotekun and other non state actors
Col Olayanju in a statement gave names of the arrested suspected bandits as Awali Atine, Ibrahim Abu, Shuaib Balau, Ibrahim Musa, Abdullah Masika and Umar Aliu Masika (All of Bororo Fulani ethnic group).
The Amotekun commandant said Amotekun operatives were on the trail of other suspected bandits that escaped from the scene during the arrest, saying, “we are still on the trail of others who managed to escape from the scene.”
He said the arrested bandits have been handed over ” to the Nigeria Police authority in Okeho divisional headquarters alongside the 183 herds, weapons and money found in their possession for further investigation.
According to the statement, the names of the arrested bandits are: Awali Atine, Ibrahim Abu, Shuaib Balau, Ibrahim Musa, Abdullah Masika and Umar Aliu Masika who were all Bororo Fulani ethnic group..