Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure

Three Fulani herdsmen suspected to be kidnappers have been arrested in Irese in Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The suspects who were arrested inside a thick forest in the town by members of a vigilance group in the town were alleged to have been engaged in kidnapping in some parts of the state.

A farmer in the town, Toyese Adebanji, confirmed the arrest of the three suspects.

Adebanji said that the suspects were apprehended with guns and live
bullets in their hideouts inside the forest.

“The Fulani herdsmen were nabbed at Irese community by members of a vigilance group during an early- morning raid.

“Immediately after their arrest, they were taken to the palace of Olurese of Irese, where they were interrogated.

“They confessed that they belong to a kidnap gang whose members are scattered inside various forests in the state where they always keep their victims.

“In fact, one of them confessed that their ring leader in the camp escaped when the local vigilantes stormed their den.

“The same gang kidnapped some people in Odudu area and they also abducted a man at Ayee community but freeing him after payment of N300, 000 ransom,” he added.

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The Olurese of Irese, Oba Babatunde Falegan, also confirmed the arrest of the suspects.

Oba Falegan said that the suspects were brought into his palace where they confessed to being members of a kidnap gang terrorising the state.

“The three kidnappers were brought to my palace by the vigilance group after they were apprehended during a search in the forest.

“During interrogation, three of them confessed that they belong to the gang of kidnappers operating inside the bushes in the state.

“They revealed that they had carried out a series of kidnap incidents mostly in Ifedore Local Government Area and other parts of the state.

These herdsmen are scattered all over the bushes in the state; they are using the forests as their hideouts,” he said.

He informed that “we have handed three of them to the military men for investigation but I still want to urge our people to be security conscious.”

The Commander of the 32 Artillery Brigade, Owena Brig-General Zakari Logun confirmed the arrest of the three suspected kidnappers.