Residents of Owo, the administrative center of the Owo Local Government Area in Ondo State, experienced significant distress this past weekend due to attacks by suspected kidnappers. In the Ojana area, six armed individuals broke into the home of Pastor Taiwo, the local community chairman, around 7:00 pm. After the family sounded an alarm, officers from the B Division arrived quickly, engaging the attackers in a shootout and forcing them to flee into the forest without their captive.
Separately, at 11:30 pm, another group of gunmen raided the residence of 39-year-old Daniel Ologun in the Gbegun area. The assailants shot Mr. Ologun in the leg before taking his 34-year-old wife, Taibat, and their two young children into the nearby wilderness. Local residents alerted security forces, and a joint team of police and military personnel tracked the gang into the woods. By Monday morning, the victims were recovered safely after the kidnappers abandoned them.
Ondo State police spokesperson Abayomi Jimoh confirmed the operations and stated that authorities are now searching the surrounding forest regions to apprehend the suspects. He praised the response of the security teams and emphasized the police force’s dedication to ending violent crime throughout the state.
