An attempt by a seven-man syndicate to rob three banks in Irele LGA of Ondo State has been thwarted by the Ondo State Security Network Agency, popularly known as Amotekun.

The Commander of the Corps, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, who disclosed this to journalists on Thursday March 21, 2024, at the headquarters of the security group in Akure, said the gang also plotted to kidnap a businessman in the state.

Parading 36 other suspected criminals for various offenses, Adeleye said the 7-man armed robbery gang came from Sapele, Delta State for kidnapping and robbery of the bank.

Adeleye further informed me that 6 of the armed robbers were at large, but Amotekun operatives were able to apprehend the mastermind who accommodated the robbers.

“We were equally able to get to the root of the target that they intended to kidnap to give the officers of Amotekun the feeling that it was mere robbery, whereas it was a dual operation,” he stated.

"The manhunt for the leader who escaped to Delta State is on. We are liaising with relevant government and security authorities to assist us in apprehending this runaway gang

“The Intel available to us shows that they intend to rob three banks and kidnap the Managing Director of a supermarket. Investigations showed that they liaised with a staff of the supermarket who declined to join the group,”

He further explained that among the suspects are specialists in vandalism of critical government assets.

"They went with a trailer to load pipes meant for a World Bank-financed water project and successfully offloaded it but our operatives followed them and apprehended them where they offloaded at a different location,” Adeleye said.

He appealed to the residents of the state to continue to support the security network with timely and actionable information while pledging to always secure the lives and properties of the residents in conjunction with other security agencies in the state.