Criminals using chemicals to hypnotise, rob, rape Ondo residents nabbed

Operatives of the Amotekun Corps in Ondo have nabbed a six-man gang notoriously known for hypnotising and robbing unsuspecting residents of their properties.

Adetunji Adeleye, Commander of the Corps, paraded the suspects at the command headquarters before journalists on Friday in Akure.

Adeleye said that the six suspects, who were in the habit of “drugging” their victims with chemical substances, were apprehended alongside twenty-six other suspects.

“We have a group of burglars that specializes in drugging unsuspecting residents of various houses, so, they will sleep off, brake the burglary, enter their houses dispose them of their valuables while some of them are raped.

“And because of the high dose of drugs they injected into their system, some of them don’t even wake up. We have been able to break that syndicate too,” he said.

The commander added that the suspects “don’t normally have direct access to the victims. What they do is to jump over their fences, and pump in with syringes these chemicals into their rooms, wait for about 30 to 40 minutes, and every living thing inside the room sleeps off. So, whatever they do, you don’t know again.”

The arrest of the syndicates follows repeated reports of incessant burglary incidents in the state capital of Akure.

Stores and shop owners along the Oyemekun area of Akure have been complaining about repeated burglary incidents on their valuables.

It was learnt that no less than two burglary cases were being reported daily at the police station even as the state prepares for the festive season.

Speaking further, Adeleye said other suspects paraded by the regional security outfit were nabbed for various criminal offences ranging from armed robbery, kidnapping, illegal possession of firearms, fraud, and stealing among others.

He revealed that the suspects were arrested with the aid of the recently launched 24-hour inter-border surveillance and patrol across the southwest tagged “Operation Gba’le – Gba’ko”, which means to ‘ensure sanity both at home and in the forest’.

“On the border patrols, we have been able to rescue a couple of victims and some arrests are being made.

“So, that is why we are here to show part of the dividends of operation gba’le-gba’ko of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, we have 32 suspects here awaiting trial,” Adeleye added.

He further noted that those arrested by the Corps would be prosecuted, stressing that the law would take its course after the completion of the investigation.