Anxiety has gripped the Igboyaye community in the Itesiwaju Local Government Area of Oyo State following the abduction of a 60-year-old resident, Mr Owoade Matthew Kolawole, by unidentified gunmen.
The incident took place over the weekend, occurring between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, 2026.
Abductors make contact via victim’s phone
Shortly after the abduction, the kidnappers contacted the victim’s family using Mr. Kolawole’s mobile phone. They are demanding a staggering ₦30 million ransom before they will secure his release.
Confirming the harrowing incident, the victim’s son, Mr Owoade Abiola, stated that the family immediately notified regional security outfits to track down the criminals.
Joint security task force uncovers abandoned motorcycle
Following the alert, a combined rescue team—comprising operatives from the Nigeria Police Force, the Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun Corps), and local hunter vigilantes—launched an intensive overnight search operation.
While the search party has not yet located the elderly man, a breakthrough occurred around 8:20 a.m. on Sunday, July 12, when trackers discovered Mr Kolawole’s abandoned motorcycle discarded in a nearby forest.
The distraught family has urged the Oyo State Police Command and alternative security agencies to scale up their intelligence operations to ensure their patriarch returns home unharmed and the perpetrators face the full wrath of the law.
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