Fear has gripped residents of Itesiwaju Local Government Area of Oyo State after suspected kidnappers abducted a primary school headmaster and demanded a ransom of N30 million for his release.
The victim, 60-year-old Matthew Kolawole Owoade, was reportedly taken while working on his farmland in Igbojaye on Saturday evening.
As the search for the educator continues, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has appealed to the Federal Government and security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue him safely.
Meanwhile, the victim’s family says the kidnappers have already contacted them with a ransom demand.
According to family members, Owoade, who serves as the headmaster of Nomadic Basic School, Ogodu, Igbojaye, was abducted between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Shortly after the incident, the kidnappers allegedly called the family using the victim’s mobile phones.
They reportedly demanded N30 million before he would be released.
The victim’s son, Owoade Abiola, said the family immediately alerted the Nigeria Police Force, the Amotekun Corps and local vigilante groups.
Consequently, a joint search operation was launched across the area throughout Saturday night.
However, despite several hours of searching, no trace of the headmaster was found.
At about 8:20 a.m. on Sunday, search teams recovered his abandoned motorcycle in a nearby bush.
The discovery has heightened fears over his safety as rescue efforts continue.
Reacting to the development, the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Oyo State Wing, condemned the abduction and demanded the immediate rescue of its member.
In a statement jointly signed by the State Chairman, Hassan Fatai, and the State Secretary, Salami Olukayode, the union described the incident as deeply disturbing.
According to the statement, the emergency was first reported by the NUT branch in Itesiwaju Local Government Area.
The union said the abduction serves as another reminder of the security challenges confronting teachers across Nigeria.
The statement read, “The development is disturbing and serves as another reminder of the growing security challenges facing teachers and education workers across the country.”
The union further appealed to authorities to act without delay.
It stated, “We call on the government, security agencies and relevant authorities to intensify efforts to secure the immediate rescue of the abducted headmaster and ensure the safety of teachers and all citizens in their communities and workplaces.”
Moreover, the union expressed sympathy for the victim’s family, colleagues and pupils.
It also prayed for his safe return while urging teachers across the state to remain vigilant.
Meanwhile, family members continue to hope for positive news.
They have appealed to security agencies not to relent until the headmaster is rescued alive.
In addition, they urged anyone with useful information to cooperate with investigators handling the case.
Although joint security teams remain on the trail of the abductors, no arrests had been announced at the time of filing this report.
Therefore, residents continue to await updates while hoping the rescue operation ends successfully.
The latest incident adds to growing concerns over kidnapping in different parts of Nigeria.
Many stakeholders believe stronger collaboration between security agencies and local communities will be needed to reduce such attacks and improve public safety.
