Amotekun, Vigilantes Nab 3 Edo Kidnappers in Ondo Market Chase

In a swift operation yesterday, April 24, 2026, men of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, known as Amotekun, alongside alert local youths, apprehended three suspected kidnappers from Edo State at the bustling Ifira Akoko market in Akoko South-East Local Government Area. The suspects, who had infiltrated the community to purchase foodstuffs, were spotted and identified by one of their recent victims who had escaped despite sustaining injuries.

Dramatic Market Confrontation

The escaped victim quickly alerted brave youths at the market, pointing out the trio—one notably identifiable by his dreadlocks, described as the most ruthless among them. Sensing suspicion from the gathering crowd, the kidnappers attempted to flee toward the Edo State border but were pursued and overpowered by the determined youths before Amotekun arrived to secure the arrests.

Eyewitnesses revealed the suspects had been living among locals in Ifira Akoko, blending in seamlessly as familiar faces sighted almost daily, which heightened community shock over the infiltration.

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Under interrogation, the trio confessed to consulting a native doctor named Alfa Jamiu, a local from Ifira Akoko with an alleged prior arrest for armed robbery in Owo, Ondo State—though specific recent confirmations on Alfa Jamiu remain tied to community reports. The four suspects, including the native doctor, have been transferred to Amotekun’s headquarters in Akure for further investigation.

This arrest underscores Amotekun’s intensified efforts against kidnapping in Ondo, amid recent operations nabbing dozens of suspects across the state, including linkages to Edo-border crimes. Community vigilance proved pivotal, echoing patterns of successful joint security actions in the Akoko axis.