The Ondo State Police Command has dismissed claims that bandits are active in the state, insisting that recent kidnappings and killings are carried out by ordinary criminals.
Commissioner of Police Adebowale Lawal made the statement on Monday in Akure during a show of force by security agencies aimed at addressing the recent rise in crime. He clarified that those arrested in connection with criminal activities are not bandits.
“Let me quickly debunk that issue of four bandits. We don’t have bandits in Ondo State. We have criminals, not bandits. Two suspected logistics suppliers to all those criminals and kidnappers were arrested along the Eleyowo and Iluabo axes,” Lawal said.
The statement aligns with remarks from Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who recently reiterated that bandits have not operated in Ondo State since the 2022 Owo massacre.
Communities around the Akure Airport axis, however, have faced repeated kidnappings and killings, sparking protests from youths demanding action against the rising insecurity.
