NIGERIA: Kidnappers Reportedly Demand ₦30m For Adopted 60-Year Oyo School Headmaster

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria

Gunmen have demanded a ₦30 million ransom for the release of an Oyo State school headmaster, Mr. Matthew Kolawale Owoade, after abducting him while he was returning from his farm.

Owoade, 60, who heads Nomadic Basic School in Igbojaye, Itesiwaju Local Government Area, was reportedly kidnapped on Saturday evening between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. by armed men who intercepted him on his way home.

According to his son, Abiola Owoade, the kidnappers contacted the family shortly after the abduction using the victim’s mobile phone and demanded ₦30 million for his freedom.

A search team later recovered the victim’s abandoned motorcycle in a nearby bush at about 8:20 a.m. on Sunday, heightening concerns over his whereabouts.

The abduction has sparked anxiety among residents and the education community in Itesiwaju Local Government Area, with family members and colleagues appealing to security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the headmaster.

They called on the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and other security agencies to ensure his safe and unconditional release, while urging members of the public to provide any useful information that could aid the rescue operation.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Oyo State Police Command, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, said the victim was abducted at his farm in Budo Aare.
“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,” Ayanlade said.