A 60-year-old headmaster in Oyo State has been abducted by suspected gunmen, with the kidnappers reportedly demanding ₦30 million as ransom for his release.
The victim, Matthew Kolawale Owoade, who serves as the headmaster of Nomadic Basic School, Igbojaye, in Itesiwaju Local Government Area, was reportedly kidnapped on Saturday evening while returning home from his farm in the Budo Aare area.
According to family members, the abductors later contacted relatives using the victim’s mobile phone and demanded ₦30 million before he would be released.
The victim’s son, Abiola Owoade, said the incident occurred between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. while his father was travelling back from the farm.
Family members and local residents launched a search after he failed to return home, and his motorcycle was later discovered abandoned in a nearby bush on Sunday morning.
The discovery heightened fears that the school administrator had been forcibly taken away by his abductors.
The incident has created panic among teachers, residents and members of the education community in Itesiwaju Local Government Area, who have appealed to security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the victim safely.
Confirming the development, the spokesperson for the Oyo State Police Command, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, said the command had already launched an operation to rescue the headmaster and arrest those responsible for the abduction.
According to the police spokesperson, Owoade was kidnapped while at his farm, adding that security operatives were actively working to secure his safe release.
The latest kidnapping has once again raised concerns about the growing wave of abductions for ransom across several parts of Nigeria, with residents calling on authorities to strengthen security in rural and vulnerable communities to prevent similar attacks.
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