The Ondo State Police Command has confirmed the abduction of a council secretary and another individual at a poultry farm in Akure North Local Government Area of the state.
The command’s spokesperson, Abayomi Jimoh, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday, noting that the incident occurred earlier in the day at a farm located along Kajola Road in the Ilu-Abo area.
Jimoh identified the victims as Joseph Kayode and Esther Akinlolu, who were reportedly taken away by armed men.
According to the police, Kayode serves as the secretary of the Okeluju Local Council Development Area in Akoko North-West Local Government Area.
The spokesperson explained that preliminary findings revealed that three armed men, whose identities remain unknown, stormed the poultry farm after emerging from a nearby bush.
“The assailants, who were masked, reportedly fired shots into the air before abducting the victims and fleeing to an unknown destination,” Jimoh said.
He added that the police swiftly mobilised tactical units and detectives to the scene to launch a search-and-rescue operation and strengthen security patrols in the area.
Jimoh further disclosed that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Adebowale Lawal, had ordered the deployment of all available operational and intelligence resources to ensure the safe rescue of the victims and the arrest of those responsible.
According to him, security personnel, working alongside non-conventional security outfits, are currently combing surrounding forests and neighbouring communities as part of ongoing efforts to locate the victims and apprehend the suspects.
The police spokesperson acknowledged that the incident had caused concern among residents, particularly parents and school authorities, leading to the temporary closure of some schools in the area.
However, he urged members of the public to remain calm and refrain from spreading unverified information capable of causing panic.
