THE Ondo State security outfit, codenamed Amotekun, yesterday, raised the alarm that over 9,000 illegal herders have sneaked into the state within a month, Commander of the security outfit, Adetunji Adeleye, said while parading 31 suspected criminals in Akure.

Adeleye disclosed that the herders found their way into the state through the border towns.

The Amotekun boss, who expressed worry over the influx of the herders, said: "The reality is that in the last month, we have had an unusual influx of herdsmen into the state. We have to drive them back to where they came from."

He said: "As of yesterday, we confronted over 9000 herders who moved into the state.

"They moved them in the midnight and they masquerade as different forms of criminals.

"The herders always came into Ondo through the border communities in Edo, Kogi and now Ekiti states with large numbers of cattle and they end up perpetrating crimes.

"We were able to notice that the herders will always come to Ondo through trucks with loads and would refuse security patrol to search them.

"So, the trend has been on for a long time, especially in the last month but we're now working on different modalities of ensuring that legitimate herders are allowed into the state.

"Those who are criminals and are not supposed to be in the state are driven out of our forest.

"Also, we are making efforts towards the border towns of the state because we noticed that t they find their way now into Ondo through Ekiti State."

Speaking on the 31 suspects paraded, the Commander said they were apprehended for crimes ranging from kidnapping, rape, burglary, rituals, stealing, arson and illegal possession of firearms among several others.