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By Lawrence Agbo
Reports that four bandits were apprehended at Akure Airport have been denied by the Ondo State Police Command, which clarified that there was no such occurrence and no security breach at the airport.
State police spokesperson Abayomi Jimoh urged the public to ignore false rumours that bandits had been captured close to the airport in a statement released on Monday.
He explained that the arrests, which involved two suspects thought to be logistical providers supporting kidnapping activities in the state, were a part of a targeted operation based on reliable intelligence regarding suspected kidnappers in the Eleyewo area.
According to Jimoh, the suspects have provided insightful confessional admissions that are actively supporting ongoing investigations against other criminal network members.
In contrast to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria’s (FAAN) earlier report, he said none of the suspects was detained within the Akure airport.
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FAAN previously stated that four bandits were arrested following a “coordinated security operation” involving aviation and local security agencies.
However, Police Commissioner Adebowale Lawal clarified that the suspects were only arrested near the airport area while being led to potential hideouts of other criminals, and were not inside the airport premises.
Lawal reiterated, “Let me quickly debunk that issue of arrest of four bandits. We don’t have bandits in Ondo State. We have criminals, not bandits.”
The clarification comes amid a rise in violent attacks and kidnappings in parts of Ondo State, which has led to protests by residents demanding increased security.
Communities along the Akure-Owo-Benin highway and areas like Ilu-Abo have recently staged road blockades to protest the surge in criminal activities.
The police have assured residents that investigations are ongoing and that all efforts are being made to apprehend criminals responsible for kidnappings and related crimes in the state.
