The men of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, also known as the Amotekun Corps, intercepted a truck carrying 151 people suspected of being intruders.
According to reports, the corps made the arrest while acting on intelligence about a terrorist incursion into Nigeria’s south-west.
Five women were among the suspects, who were hidden inside the trailers behind bean and rice bags.
They were stopped around the Sango area of the Akure-Ado Expressway by corps operatives who were on’stop and search’ on Thursday after becoming suspicious of their movement.
The state Commander of Amotekun, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, said the suspects were concealed behind bags of rice inside the truck.
He said, “We intercepted two trucks conveying 151 people who were cleverly concealed behind bags of rice and beans in a way that one may not know these number of people were tucked in the trucks.
“Upon interception, we asked of their destinations. Some said Akure, while others said Osogbo in Osun state. Although, we have not completed profiling them, as none of them has an idea of what they were going to do or their mission.
“All they were able to tell us is that they entered the vehicle and came to Ondo State.
“While searching the vehicles, we saw 10 bikes and various dangerous charms. If we check and do not find anything on them as long as they don’t have anybody ready to take custody of them in Ondo state, we will send them back to their various states.”
The suspects were said to have been coming from Kastina, Kano, and Jigawa states heading to South-West states.
He continued, “Some of them claimed they are from Kastina, Kano, and Jigawa states, but on how they came together, they said they couldn’t figure it out, but that they were conveyed by the truck down to Akure in Ondo State.
“This, however, is not a good sign, following the security warning in the South West states.
“While respecting their rights as Nigerians, yet, we are not sure of what they are here for. We still feel that while traveling, anyone should have a mission and destination at where he or she is going to,” he said.