Suspected kidnappers have abducted the headmaster of Nomadic Basic School, Igbojaye, in Itesiwaju Local Government Area of Oyo State, Mr Matthew Kolawale Owoade, and are demanding ₦30 million for his release.
Naijaonpoint reports that Owoade, popularly known as “Onaiye,” was reportedly seized on Saturday evening while returning home from his farm.
According to Vanguard, the 60-year-old educator was said to have been attacked between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. by armed men who whisked him away to an unknown destination.
According to the victim’s son, Abiola Owoade, the gunmen contacted the family shortly after the abduction using his father’s mobile phone.
The callers reportedly demanded a ransom of ₦30 million before they would release the school headmaster.
The incident has thrown the family into distress as relatives await further communication from the abductors.
As efforts to locate the victim intensified, members of a search team reportedly recovered his motorcycle on Sunday morning.
The motorcycle was found abandoned in a bush at about 8:20 a.m., raising concerns over the circumstances surrounding the abduction.
The discovery has heightened anxiety among residents and members of the local education community, who have appealed for urgent intervention by security agencies.
Colleagues, family members, and other stakeholders in the Itesiwaju Local Government Area called on the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and other security agencies to intensify efforts to secure Owoade’s release.
They also appealed to members of the public to provide credible information that could assist security operatives in locating the abductors and rescuing the victim.
The Oyo State Police Command confirmed the incident on Sunday.
The command’s spokesperson, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, said security operatives had commenced efforts to rescue the victim and apprehend those responsible.
“I can confirm to you that a farmer, Mr Owoade Mathew, was kidnapped at his farm in Budo Aare, and efforts are on to rescue the man unhurt and arrest the perpetrator,” Ayanlade said.
