Oyo Police-Led Operation Secures Freedom of Abducted Educator

ByNewsmakers

Jul 14, 2026 #CP Abimbola Olugbenga, #Joint security rescue operation, #Mathew Owoade, #Nomadic Basic School Ogodu, #Oyo headmaster rescued, #Oyo State Police Command

Mathew Owoade

Matilda Omonaiye/

The Oyo State Police Command has secured the release of 60-year-old school headmaster and farmer, Mathew Owoade, who was abducted by armed men in Itesiwaju Local Government Area of the state.

Owoade, the headmaster of Nomadic Basic School, Ogodu, Igbojaye, was kidnapped between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, 2026, while returning from his farm along the Igbojaye–Budo Aare bush road.

Following the abduction, the kidnappers contacted members of his family using his mobile phone and demanded a ransom of ₦30 million.

Confirming the development in a statement issued on Monday, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, said the victim regained his freedom on the evening of July 13 after a coordinated operation involving multiple security agencies.

According to the police, sustained operational pressure mounted by the joint security team forced the kidnappers to abandon their captive and flee.

Owoade has since been taken to a medical facility for examination and treatment. The police said he would be debriefed after receiving medical clearance to aid ongoing investigations aimed at tracking down and prosecuting those responsible for the abduction.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Abimbola Olugbenga, praised the synergy among security agencies, community leaders and local residents whose cooperation contributed to the successful rescue.

He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property across Oyo State, assuring residents that security agencies would continue to intensify efforts to ensure that kidnappers and other criminal elements have no safe haven in the state.