A case that initially sparked fears of abduction in Ondo State took a dramatic turn on Thursday after a 42-year-old married woman declared missing was discovered in a hotel with a man in Akoko area of the state.
The woman, identified as Olatunde Funke, had earlier been reported missing in Ilara-Mokin, Ifedore Local Government Area, after she reportedly left her home without informing her husband or relatives, triggering panic across the community.
Her disappearance had led to widespread alarm, with residents, community leaders and political figures circulating her photographs on social media amid suspicions of possible kidnapping.
However, security findings later revealed that the woman had travelled to Ugbe-Akoko in Akoko North-East Local Government Area, a distance of over 120 kilometres from her residence.
Operatives, acting on intelligence, subsequently traced her to a hotel in the town, where she was found in the company of a 55-year-old man, identified as Isa Alaba.
Sources close to the investigation disclosed that preliminary findings indicated she left home on her own without notifying family members, dispelling earlier fears of foul play.
She has since been taken into protective custody while authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding her movement and stay at the facility.
Confirming the development, the Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Abayomi, said the initial report prompted a full-scale response by security agencies based on suspicion of abduction.
He expressed concern over the panic generated by the incident, noting that manpower and resources were deployed for what eventually turned out to be a non-criminal matter.
Abayomi urged residents to avoid actions capable of misleading authorities, stressing that false alarms could divert attention from genuine emergencies.
He also underscored the importance of effective communication within families, noting that timely information sharing could help prevent similar incidents.