The Ondo State Police Command has foiled two separate kidnap attempts in Owo Local Government Area, rescuing all the victims after swift and coordinated security operations.
The incidents, which occurred within a few hours of each other on Sunday, June 21, 2026, highlight the command’s ongoing efforts to combat kidnapping and other violent crimes across the state.
The first incident occurred at about 7:05 p.m. when police received a distress call that a six-man armed gang had stormed the residence of Pastor Taiwo Taiwo, Chairman of Ojana New Area, Owo, in an attempt to abduct him.
Acting on the information, the Divisional Police Officer of B Division, Owo, mobilised a patrol team to the scene.
On arrival, the operatives engaged the gunmen in a shootout, forcing them to flee into the surrounding bush and abandon the operation.
Pastor Taiwo and his family were rescued unharmed and later relocated to a safer location for their protection.
Later that night, at about 11:10 p.m., another armed gang attacked Daniel Ologun, 39, at Gbegun Community along Alhaja Camp, off Housing Estate, Owo.
The command in a statement issued on Monday, said Ologun sustained a gunshot wound to his left leg, while the assailants abducted his wife, Taibat Ologun, 34, and their two children, aged four and two, into the bush.
Following a distress call, police launched a rescue operation and said pressure from operatives forced the kidnappers to abandon the victims.
In a joint search-and-rescue operation involving the police and the Nigerian Army, Ologun and her two children were rescued unhurt at about 1:50 a.m., while the suspects escaped with gunshot injuries.
Daniel Ologun was taken to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owo, where he is receiving treatment and responding positively, the command said.
Meanwhile, joint security teams comprising police operatives and military personnel have intensified bush-combing operations in the affected communities and adjoining forests to apprehend the fleeing suspects and dismantle criminal hideouts.
The Commissioner of Police, Felix Ohagwu, directed that the rescued victims be debriefed to assist ongoing investigations and intelligence-gathering efforts aimed at identifying and apprehending the suspects.
He also ordered that the victims be reunited with their families after necessary security measures are put in place to ensure their continued safety.
The commissioner commended the bravery and swift response of the operatives involved in both operations, as well as the support of the Nigerian Army and members of the public whose timely information contributed to the successful rescue missions.