More Than 150 Boko Haram Members Arrested In Ondo

No fewer than 150 people suspected members of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram were Thursday arrested by the Police in Ondo, headquarters of Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo state.

They were reportedly armed with various offensive weapons and loaded themselves in a truck before being intercepted and arrested by the Police.

It was gathered that the Police at the Funbi-Fagun Police division intercepted the truck conveying the suspects to an undisclosed location.

The suspects who were said to be people from the northern part of the country, were conveyed in a truck with registration number KANO NSR 97 XZ, and they were said to be coming from Kebbi state and heading towards Ore town in Odigbo Local
Government Area of the state before they were apprehended by the police at Lipakala junction in Ondo town.

The operation which was led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the Funbi-Fagun Police division, Mr Olu-Ojo Ogunmoyole, also involved men of the Special Ant-robbery Squad (SARS) of the state police command.

The suspects were initially detained at the Funbi-Fagun police division before they were later conveyed in a truck that brought them to the State headquarters of the Police command in Akure.

Items said to be recovered from the suspects include 18 locally made guns, two jack knives, 22 cutlasses and many torch light.

The incident attracted the attention of many residents of the town as hundreds of people gathered at the Police station where the suspects were initially taken to.

It was learnt that officers of the Department of State Security (DSS) joined the Police in the arrest of the suspects.

One of the suspects who identified himself as Abdulahi Sheriff, said they are not members of Boko Haram, saying they are all farmers coming from Benin-Kebbi to seek greener pastures in the southern part of the country.

He explained that their movement from the North was due to the prolong dry season in the area which, he said has affected their activities.

The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Funbi-Fagun police station, Mr. Ogunmoyole said the suspects were intercepted during a surveillance operation carried out by the ant-robbery squad attached to the division.

He explained that the suspects were transferred to the command headquarters for further investigation.