A routine cattle-grazing trip near Owo in Ondo State turned into a kidnapping ordeal for two teenage brothers after they disappeared while tending their family’s herd near the border with Edo State.
Abubakar Umaru and Abdullahi Umaru had taken the cattle out towards the grazing areas but failed to return home by evening.
Concerned relatives eventually alerted the Ondo State Security Network Agency, popularly known as Amotekun, prompting an operation to trace the missing teenagers.
Security Operatives Followed the Cattle Trail
Amotekun Commander in Ondo State, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, said the operation initially led officers to the missing cattle.
After recovering the animals, the operatives continued into the surrounding forest in search of the boys.
The trail eventually took them towards Abuja Forest, an area located between Ondo and Edo states within Owo Local Government Area.
According to Adeleye, the suspected kidnappers abandoned the teenagers and fled when they noticed the approaching security personnel.
The two boys were rescued and two suspected kidnappers were arrested during the operation.
Rescued Boys Describe Their Ordeal
Following their rescue, the teenagers reportedly told security officials that suspected kidnappers had forcibly separated them from their cattle and taken them deep into the forest.
Their ordeal continued until Amotekun operatives located the hideout.
The rescue has once again highlighted the security challenges facing residents of communities located around state boundaries, where large stretches of forest can provide cover for criminal groups.
Amotekun Chief Rejects Ethnic Discrimination
Adeleye used the operation to emphasise that Amotekun’s security mandate applies regardless of ethnicity.
He said the agency would pursue anyone suspected of committing crimes, whether the individual is Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa or Fulani.
The commander also credited residents with helping security agencies respond quickly by providing information about suspicious activity and missing persons.
97 Suspects Paraded in Wider Security Crackdown
The rescue came as Adeleye disclosed details of a broader security operation in Ondo State.
He said 97 suspects had recently been paraded in connection with offences including kidnapping, armed robbery, burglary, vehicle hijacking, theft and alleged violations of the state’s anti-open grazing law.
According to the commander, some of those arrested allegedly confessed to working as informants or suppliers for kidnapping groups operating from forest locations.
Others were described as suspected members of criminal gangs operating across several communities.
Security Agency Raises Concern Over Forest Movement
Adeleye also claimed that security operatives had identified what he described as a new pattern involving groups of people moving into interior forest areas with household belongings.
He said women of different ages had been intercepted carrying items including cooking utensils, mortars, pestles and bedding.
According to the commander, some of those questioned claimed they had left northern parts of Nigeria because of security problems and had been invited by people already operating in southern forests.
Adeleye said investigators were examining the circumstances surrounding these movements and their possible links to criminal networks.
Alleged Recruitment Networks Under Investigation
The commander cited several cases that he said demonstrated how individuals could be brought into forest settlements in unusually large numbers.
In one case, he alleged that a person invited two individuals for work but that the pair subsequently arrived with dozens of others and various household possessions.
Another group of 16 people was reportedly intercepted while heading towards the Ose/Owo forest corridor after allegedly being invited by someone described as a farmer.
The claims remain allegations involving suspects arrested during the operations.
Alleged Criminal Gangs Target Several Communities
Adeleye said the security operation also uncovered suspected members of robbery and kidnapping gangs operating in areas including Ikare, Kajola, Akure, Ilu-Abo, Akure North, Mure and Oja-Mokan.
The agency also arrested two people who allegedly pretended to have mental health problems in order to gather intelligence.
According to Adeleye, the suspects admitted they had been paid to provide information to criminal groups.
He further alleged that some of them had obtained hospital documentation to make their claims of mental illness appear credible.
Nighttime Robbery Scheme Allegedly Uncovered
Another suspected syndicate was accused of using a different tactic to gain access to victims.
Adeleye said members of the group allegedly visited homes at night while pretending to be guests.
Once inside, they allegedly locked residents indoors, displayed firearms and forced victims to transfer money before stealing vehicles and leaving.
Security operatives reportedly recovered vehicles connected to the alleged operations.
One additional vehicle believed to have been used during an attack on an Amotekun team was also recovered after criminals allegedly drove it into the forest and abandoned it.
Security Agencies Increase Cooperation
Adeleye attributed the relative stability in parts of Ondo State to cooperation between Amotekun and other security organisations.
These include the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Department of State Services, local vigilantes and other community security groups.
He said Amotekun operatives had confronted criminals in forest areas on numerous occasions and had successfully pushed back attacks.
The commander also claimed that some kidnapping incidents reported during the previous six months involved victims allegedly being set up by relatives, adding another layer of complexity to the security challenge.
State Borders Remain a Major Challenge
One of the biggest difficulties facing Amotekun, according to Adeleye, is the absence of equivalent corps structures in neighbouring states.
He specifically pointed to Edo, Kogi and Kwara, where differences in security arrangements can make cross-border operations more difficult.
To address the gaps, Amotekun has reportedly strengthened patrols around border communities and worked with the military and police to monitor major entry points.
The agency has also collaborated with local vigilantes around the Akunu area near Kogi and the Ago Saboro axis close to Edo.
More Forest Clearance Operations Planned
Adeleye said joint operations involving Amotekun and the military would continue in forest areas considered vulnerable to criminal activity.
He expressed confidence that sustained cooperation between security agencies would eventually remove criminal groups from the state’s forests.
The approach is expected to focus on border patrols, intelligence gathering and coordinated operations between state and federal security agencies.
A Rescue That Transcended Ethnic Divisions
For the families of Abubakar and Abdullahi, however, the wider security debate was secondary to one immediate outcome.
The boys disappeared while tending cattle and were eventually found alive after security operatives traced their trail into the forest.
The cattle were recovered and two suspects were arrested.
The incident has since been presented by Amotekun as an example of its stated policy of responding to criminal activity without regard to the ethnic background of victims or suspects.
What Happens Next?
Security agencies are expected to maintain patrols around vulnerable forest corridors and border communities while continuing investigations into the suspects already arrested.
The reported presence of criminal networks across state boundaries is also likely to keep pressure on neighbouring states to improve intelligence sharing and coordinate security operations.
For Ondo residents, the immediate priority remains preventing further kidnappings and ensuring that communities bordering large forest areas do not become safe havens for criminal groups.
Summary
Two teenage herdsmen, Abubakar Umaru and Abdullahi Umaru, were rescued after suspected kidnappers allegedly abducted them while they were tending their family’s cattle near Owo in Ondo State.
Amotekun operatives first recovered the cattle before following their trail into Abuja Forest, where the boys were found and two suspects arrested.
Commander Chief Adetunji Adeleye said the agency does not discriminate on ethnic grounds and described the wider operation as part of a crackdown that resulted in 97 suspects being paraded for various alleged offences.
He also highlighted concerns over criminal activity in forest areas and the difficulties created by security gaps along Ondo’s borders with neighbouring states.
The commander said continued cooperation between Amotekun, the military, police and community security groups would be crucial to containing criminal networks and keeping residents safe.
