OYO, Nigeria — The Oyo State Police Command has launched a joint security operation to rescue 60-year-old headmaster Matthew Kolawale Owoade, who was abducted from his farm in the Igbojaye community of Itesiwaju Local Government Area, with authorities deploying tactical teams to comb surrounding forests.
Owoade, the headmaster of Nomadic Basic School, Igbojaye, popularly known as “Onaiye,” was returning from his farm along the Igbojaye–Budo Aare Farm Road between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, 2026, when armed men intercepted and whisked him away to an unknown destination. Shortly after the abduction, the kidnappers contacted his family using his mobile phone and demanded a ransom of N30 million for his release.
When Owoade failed to return home, his family organised a search party. At about 8:20 a.m. on Sunday, July 12, they discovered his Bajaj motorcycle abandoned in a nearby bush, but there was no trace of the missing headmaster. The discovery deepened anxiety among family members, colleagues, and residents of the Igbojaye community, who described the veteran educator as a dedicated teacher who had devoted decades to educating children in underserved communities.
Confirming the incident, Oyo State Police Command spokesperson DSP Olayinka Ayanlade stated: “I can confirm to you that a farmer, Mr Owoade Mathew, was kidnapped at his farm in Budo Aare, and efforts are on to rescue the man unhurt and arrest the perpetrator.” The Police Public Relations Officer also clarified that the abduction occurred on the farm and not within any school premises, urging the public to disregard misleading reports circulating in some sections of the media.
Following the report, Commissioner of Police Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga ordered the immediate deployment of a joint rescue team comprising police operatives, Amotekun Corps personnel, local vigilantes, and hunters to begin combing the surrounding forests. The operation has been reinforced by the command’s Anti-Kidnapping Squad and other tactical units working in collaboration with other security agencies.
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Oyo State Wing, has also raised an urgent alarm over the abduction, calling for an immediate and swift rescue operation to secure Owoade’s unconditional release safely. In a statement jointly signed by the State Chairman, Comrade Hassan Ajibola Fatai, and the State Secretary, Comrade Salami Olukayode, the union described the development as disturbing and another reminder of the growing security challenges facing teachers and education workers across the country.
The abduction comes barely days after security operatives successfully rescued pupils and teachers abducted from schools in Oriire Local Government Area following 56 days in captivity, renewing concerns over the security situation in parts of Oyo State, particularly in rural communities where farmers, teachers, and other residents have increasingly become targets of kidnappers.
The Oyo State Police Command has reiterated its unwavering commitment to the protection of lives and property and assured residents that it will continue to work collaboratively with sister security agencies and community stakeholders to sustain peace and public safety across the state. The command appealed to members of the public to provide credible information that could assist security operatives in locating the abductors and rescuing the victim.
