Men of the Ondo State Security Network known as the Amotekun Corps have arrested 15 persons suspected to be mining gold illegally inside the Owo forest reserves.
The suspects were operating in 50 locations inside the forest when they were nabbed.
Names of the suspects are given as Shuaibu Yahaya, Habbi Usman, Kabiru Waheed, Mohammed Nurudeen, Mohammed Sulaman, Ali Mustapha, Ismaila Wahab, Musa Zeehed, Gabbar Musa, Sule Adamu Abba Suleman, Usman Kebiru, Yahaya Danladi, and Usman Ali Zekeri.
The Amotekun officials said they trekked for four hours into the forest led by local hunters after they got intelligence about the activities of the miners.
The Commander o Amotekun, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, said the arrest was part of an effort to end criminality in the state.
Adetunji said the arrest took place at a forest reserve in Owo. We discovered the illegal mining locations in the course of our usual exercise.
“We noticed that they have gone far in 50 different locations where they were mining.
“Nobody would have believed that Ondo state has this quality of gold until we got to the locations where the gold robbers were living and performing illegal mining. Beyond the arrest, the culprits will be prosecuted.”
