Abducted Oyo Headmaster Regains Freedom — Police

The Oyo State Police Command has confirmed the release of an abducted headmaster, Mathew Owoade, following sustained security operations that forced his captors to abandon him.

Owoade, a 60-year-old farmer and headmaster, was kidnapped on Saturday evening along the Igbojaye–Budo Aare bush road in Itesiwaju Local Government Area of Oyo State.

The Command’s spokesperson, CSP Olayinka Ayanlade, disclosed the development in a statement issued in Ibadan on Monday.

According to the police, the victim regained his freedom after an intensive joint security operation was launched immediately following his abduction.

Ayanlade explained that sustained investigative efforts and coordinated pressure mounted by security operatives compelled the kidnappers to release the victim.

“The Oyo State Police Command wishes to update members of the public on the earlier press release issued on July 13, 2026, regarding the abduction of a farmer, Mathew Owoade, who was kidnapped along the Igbojaye–Budo Aare bush road in Oyo State on July 12, 2026.

“Following the immediate deployment of a coordinated joint security operation and sustained investigative efforts by the command, the intense operational pressure mounted on the abductors forced the hoodlums to abandon the victim, who regained his freedom on the evening of July 13, 2026,” the statement said.

The police added that Owoade has been taken to a medical facility for evaluation and necessary treatment.

Upon completion of his medical care, investigators will conduct a formal debriefing to obtain useful information that could assist ongoing efforts to identify, arrest and prosecute those behind the crime.

The command stressed that investigations remain active, with security agencies intensifying efforts to apprehend every member of the kidnapping gang.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Olugbenga Abimbola, commended other security agencies, members of the local community and residents for their cooperation throughout the rescue operation.

He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property across the state, assuring residents that security agencies would continue to pursue criminal elements relentlessly and deny them any safe haven in Oyo State.

The police urged members of the public to remain vigilant and continue providing credible information that could assist security agencies in combating kidnapping and other violent crimes across the state.