The Oyo State Police Command has launched a comprehensive investigation into the abduction of a farmer, Owoade Mathew, while deploying a joint security operation to secure his safe rescue and apprehend those behind the crime.
The command said operatives of its Anti-Kidnapping Squad and other tactical units have been mobilised alongside personnel of the Amotekun Corps, local vigilantes and hunters to comb forests around the area in search of the victim.
The operation was launched after the command received a distress report on Monday that the farmer, a resident of Igbojaye Community, had been abducted while working on his farm along the Igbojaye–Budo Aare Farm Road.
According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Adewale Osifeso, the Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Olugbenga, ordered the immediate deployment of the specialised teams to intensify search and rescue efforts while tracking down the abductors.
The police said the victim had gone to his farm at about 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, 2026, but failed to return home, prompting his family to organise a search.
The search party later recovered his Bajaj motorcycle at the farm in the early hours of Sunday.
“Shortly thereafter, 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,” the statement said.
The command also dismissed reports suggesting that the victim was abducted within the premises of a school, clarifying that he was kidnapped while working on his farm.
“Members of the public are therefore urged to disregard the misleading reports and rely only on information disseminated through official channels of the Oyo State Police Command,” the police spokesman said.
Olugbenga assured residents that the command remained committed to tackling kidnapping and other violent crimes across the state, adding that every available operational and intelligence resource had been deployed to ensure the victim’s safe rescue and the arrest of those responsible.
He urged members of the public to remain calm and vigilant while providing timely and credible information to support ongoing security operations.
The commissioner reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property, saying it would continue to work closely with other security agencies and community stakeholders to maintain peace and public safety across Oyo State.