Ondo State Security Network Agency, commonly known as the Amotekun Corps, recently made a significant breakthrough in combating criminal activities in the state, as they apprehended 28 individuals allegedly involved in various crimes. Among the arrested were two secondary school pupils accused of staging their own kidnapping and extorting ransom from their mother.The suspects, identified as two female pupils aged 13 and 15 in Junior Secondary School (JSS1) and Junior Secondary School (JSS3) respectively, were found hiding in Oka-Akoko, Akoko South-West Local Government Area of the state. The Commander of the state’s Amotekun Corps, Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed this during a press parade held at the command’s headquarters in Akure, the state capital.According to Commander Adeleye, the girls had disguised themselves as kidnappers and contacted their mother, demanding a ransom of N100,000 for their supposed release. Additionally, they called and issued threats to the local monarch, giving a 24-hour ultimatum for the ransom to be paid, or they would purportedly harm the captives.Emphasizing the gravity of the kidnapping issue in the state, Commander Adeleye stated, “The 28 suspects we are parading today (Monday) shows that we have more kidnapping than any other criminal activities. This is in continuation of our efforts at ensuring that kidnapping in Ondo State becomes a thing of the past. We have people who kidnapped themselves and raised an alarm, and in our diligent investigations, we were able to unravel the mystery surrounding their disappearance to the extent that they have confessed.”The successful arrest was a result of collaborative efforts between Amotekun Corps and operatives from the Department of State Services, who tracked the telephone line used by the girls to their hiding location.During the interrogation, one of the girls confessed to the crime and revealed that her elder sister had lured her into the plan. The 13-year-old girl admitted, “On that day, my sister and I spent the night in our grandma’s place and left there around 6 am the following day. While on our way back home, my sister told me that she had a plan to get money from our mother. She then revealed her plan to declare ourselves kidnapped and asked for N50,000 each ransom from our mother. It was my sister who taught me what to say when she put a call through to my mother. When we called, we didn’t know that it was the monarch that was speaking with us on the telephone when we threatened to kill our victims in captivity if they failed to pay the ransom quickly.”The authorities are now conducting further investigations into the case, and the suspects will be prosecuted according to the law. This operation marks a significant step in the ongoing efforts to tackle kidnapping and other criminal activities in Ondo State, with the hope of creating a safer and more secure environment for its residents.