No fewer than nine herders and 100 cows have been arrested and placed under detention by officers of SouthWest regional security outfit, Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Operation Amotekun in Ondo.
As gathered, the herders and cows were arrested for grazing illegally along Akure-Ilesa highway by the Ondo State Security Network, set up to enhance security in the region.
The herders were said to have been flouting Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu directives by Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu that all herdsmen should get registered as well as violating grazing rules on the highway.
Confirming the arrest, the Ondo Commander, Amotekun, Adetunji Adeleye, said that the cows were intercepted and arrested at the boundary of Osun and Ondo States.
He added that the arrested cows were controlled from the point where they are intercepted to the Amotekun headquarters that was about 30 kilometres.
“I don’t want to narrow it on the issue of capturing cattle. I would want to say it’s a way of reducing crime. These cows were actually blocking the major road leading to the state capital.
“Apart from the possibility of illegal grazing in most cases, it is the ploy that kidnappers use. One of the occupants in the vehicle that was blocked called our distress line. And within few minutes, our men were on ground.
”We should take note that our men are in all the 18 local government areas and we are on 24 hours patrol. We arrived at the scene promptly. The culprits who sighted us on arrival ran away as they controlled the cows to follow them but we were only able to control them back.”
