The Ondo State Police Command has said that the suspects arrested near the Akure Airport in Ondo State are not bandits but logistics suppliers for kidnappers.
In a statement on Monday, Abayomi Jimoh, the police spokesperson in Ondo State, rejected a report by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) claiming that four bandits were arrested behind the Akure Airport perimeter near the Eleyewo community.
FAAN had earlier stated on Sunday that the suspects were apprehended following a coordinated security operation involving aviation and local security agencies.
“During the operation, some individuals were seen attempting to flee the area. Four suspects were eventually apprehended by the joint security team and have been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force Area Command for further interrogation,” FAAN said.
However, in a counter statement, Jimoh asked the public to disregard “inaccurate reports suggesting that bandits” were arrested at the airport.
The police spokesperson explained that the suspects are logistics suppliers who assist kidnappers and that they have already made “useful confessional statements” aiding ongoing investigations.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Command wishes to state clearly that no such incident occurred at the Akure Airport, and there was no security breach of any kind at the facility,” the statement said.
“The command, however, received credible intelligence from a concerned citizen regarding the activities of suspected kidnappers around the Eleyewo axis of Akure.
“Acting swiftly on the tip-off, operatives of the command launched a targeted operation in the area which led to the arrest of two suspects.
“Preliminary investigations reveal that the suspects are logistics suppliers aiding kidnapping activities within the state.
“They have since made useful confessional statements that are currently aiding ongoing investigations and efforts to apprehend other members of the criminal network.”
The Ondo State Police Command urged members of the public to disregard reports claiming that bandits were arrested at the airport, describing such claims as false and misleading.
‘No Bandits in Ondo’
Speaking with journalists in Akure, Adebowale Lawal, the Ondo State Commissioner of Police, said the report that four bandits were arrested at the airport was inaccurate.
“Let me quickly debunk that issue of the arrest of four bandits. We don’t have bandits in Ondo State. We have criminals, not bandits,” Lawal said.
The police chief explained that the command only arrested two suspects believed to be logistics suppliers assisting kidnappers operating within parts of the state.
“Two suspected logistics suppliers to those criminals and kidnappers were arrested along the Eleyewo and Ilu-Abo axis. One other suspect was arrested at Ilu-Abo but was not connected to the first two,” he said.
Lawal insisted that none of the suspects was arrested inside the airport facility as suggested in FAAN’s statement.
“So they were never arrested at the airport, contrary to the press statement made by the FAAN management staff,” he added.
When asked if the police were directly disputing FAAN’s account of the incident, the commissioner said: “Yes, of course. We carried out the operation. So they were not there. They were not arrested inside the airport.”
He further clarified that the suspects were only taken near the airport area during the investigation after being compelled to lead security operatives to other possible hideouts.
“They were leading them to where others were. So they were not actually arrested at the airport,” Lawal added.
Ondo State has experienced a surge in violent attacks since the beginning of the year, resulting in deaths and abductions.
On March 3, protesters from Ayede Ogbese community in Akure North Local Government Area blocked the Akure–Owo–Benin highway over repeated killings and abductions in their community.
On March 10, residents of Ilu-Abo and neighbouring communities in Akure North LGA also barricaded the Akure–Owo expressway to protest the rising cases of kidnapping in the area.
