The Oyo State Police Command has commenced a coordinated operation to track down gunmen who abducted a 12-year-old student of a private secondary school in Ibadan on Thursday morning.
The incident reportedly occurred around 7:20 a.m. in the Challenge area of the Oyo State capital as the pupil was stepping out of a vehicle that had conveyed her to school.
In a statement confirming the development, the command’s spokesperson disclosed that a distress report of a suspected kidnapping was received in the early hours of Thursday, prompting the immediate deployment of detectives to the scene for assessment and investigation.
According to the police, preliminary findings revealed that the minor was allegedly whisked away by unidentified armed men at a junction leading to the school premises.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers, who wore masks, arrived in a vehicle without registration plates.
The suspects were said to be armed with a double-barrelled gun and reportedly fired shots into the air to disperse passers-by before forcefully taking the girl.
A witness, who requested anonymity for security reasons, alleged that the assailants chased the victim’s mother and overpowered her before fleeing with the child through the Challenge axis of the city.
The police spokesperson noted that several eyewitnesses had been identified and interviewed, adding that their testimonies were yielding useful leads for ongoing investigations.
He stated that the victim’s parents were in close communication with security operatives as efforts intensified to secure her safe return.
The statement added that the Commissioner of Police had ordered a thorough, intelligence-led probe into the incident, assuring residents that every available resource was being deployed to apprehend those responsible and ensure justice is served.
The command appealed to members of the public to remain calm and provide credible information that could aid the investigation, assuring that all tips would be handled with strict confidentiality.
Recall that in December 2025, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Wale Oriade, was abducted in Ibadan and later regained his freedom after spending 39 days in captivity.