Sunday, August 30, 2026

Police begin search for abducted Oyo farmer

Mr Olayinka said the victim was abducted on his farm and not within the premises of any school.

• July 13, 2026

The Oyo State Police Command has launched an investigation into the abduction of a farmer, Matthew Owoade, who was kidnapped by gunmen at 9:50 a.m. on Sunday.

In a statement on Monday, the command’s spokesperson, Ayanlade Olayinka, said the police have launched a rescue operation to apprehend those responsible for the crime.

“A distress report was received from the officer-in-charge of Igbojaye Police Outpost that the victim, a resident of Igbojaye community, had gone to his farm along the Igbojaye–Budo Aare Farm Road at about 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, 11 July 2026, but failed to return home,” he said.

He said a search party organised by the victim’s family later recovered his Bajaj motorcycle at the farm in the early hours of Sunday.

“The victim’s mobile phone was used to contact his family, during which the caller informed them that he had been abducted, prompting the report to the police,” he said.

Mr Olayinka said the victim was abducted on his farm and not within the premises of any school.

He urged members of the public to disregard misleading reports and rely only on information disseminated through official channels of the Oyo State Police Command.

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