Barely 19 days after terrorists invaded a church in Owo, Ondo State, massacring more than 40 worshippers and injuring others, the State Security Network Agency, codenamed “Amotekun Corps” has announced the arrest of some suspects in connection with the terror.
The Commander of Amotekun Corps, Adetunji Adeleye, said in Akure on Thursday that some suspects had been arrested in connection with the killings.
Persecondnews had reported that on Sunday, June 5, 2022 during service, terrorists had swooped on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, shooting sporadically and also used dynamite to destroy the church.
The attack was the first of such in the Southern Nigeria since insurgency and terror attacks broke out in Northern Nigeria more than 10 years ago.
Tears flowed freely as the victims of Owo church massacre were buried last week with a sobbing Gov. Akeredolu saying, “We have failed our people” at the mass burials.
The Commander, who also doubles as the Governor’s Special Adviser on Security Matters paraded 71 men who were arrested for various criminal activities across the state.
On Jan 18, 2022, Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu had appointed Adeleye, a retired Deputy Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, as the Special Adviser on Security Matters, who hitherto had held sway as the corps Commander.
He had vowed that all the attackers of the worship centre would be apprehended by all means.
On the suspects arrested in connection with the church attack, Adeleye did not give the actual figure of the suspected terrorists.
As regards the Owo incident, we have recovered the last vehicle they used for that operation.
We have made some arrests and we have also recovered some vital things which we are working on.
A number of people have been arrested concerning the Owo issue as well as well number of equipment.
“On that day, we pursued them to the point that we recovered the vehicle and we are still pursuing them,” he told reporters.
On the 71 suspects paraded at the headquarters of the command in Akure, Adeleye said the suspects were arrested within the last one month for various offenses ranging from armed robbery, cattle rustling, kidnapping, raping, fraud and human trafficking.
He promised that the corps would not rest on its oars until it ridded the state of criminal elements.
“There is no hiding place for them. They turned the heat on us and we have also turned the heat on them.”
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