Two operatives of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, popularly known as the Amotekun Corps, have been arrested for allegedly stealing cocoa beans in Idanre Local Government Area of the state.
The suspects, identified as Ajayi Adebusuyi (45) and Oluwadare Olubodun (42), were reportedly caught inside a cocoa farm during a routine inspection around Gbalegi Camp, Idanre.
According to sources, the farm’s caretaker, Friday Abbah, had mounted surveillance following repeated incidents of cocoa theft on the property. During the operation, the two officers were allegedly apprehended with cocoa pods suspected to have been stolen, which were recovered as exhibits.
A resident, identified simply as Abel, told journalists that the suspects were immediately handed over to the Divisional Headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force in Idanre.
Confirming the incident on Friday, the spokesman of the Ondo State Police Command, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, said the arrest was a result of multiple complaints from farm managers in the community.
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“The security operatives visited the farmland at Gbalegi Camp and were able to ascertain several empty cocoa pods on the farm.
We have the two men in custody, and the case has been ordered to be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation,” Ayanlade stated.
The incident has sparked widespread concern in Idanre, a community famed for cocoa production, with many residents expressing shock over the alleged involvement of security operatives in theft — a crime they were entrusted to prevent.