The Ondo State Police Command has rescued a 26-year-old woman who was abducted in Owo and arrested four suspects in connection with the crime.
The victim, identified as Ogechi John, was allegedly kidnapped on Monday along the Emure–Akure Expressway near Gozako Filling Station in Owo Local Government Area.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Command, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, the abductors arrived in an ash-coloured Toyota Camry without registration numbers and forcefully whisked the woman away before fleeing to an unknown destination.
Following the report, the police launched a coordinated operation involving operatives of the Command, Amotekun Corps, local hunters and vigilante groups. Security teams immediately secured strategic entry and exit points around Owo and neighbouring communities while patrol and tactical units combed nearby forests and suspected escape routes.
The operation recorded a breakthrough when the suspected getaway vehicle was discovered abandoned in a bush at Ojana, Owo.
Acting on intelligence gathered during the investigation, police operatives arrested four suspects identified as Friday Shola, 27; Friday Monday, 21; Osho Joseph, 24; and Lawal Mariam. The suspects were reportedly found in possession of a woman’s motorcycle believed to be connected to the ongoing investigation.
Police said preliminary interrogation revealed that the abandoned Toyota Camry had allegedly been handed over to a herbalist, Lawal Lucky, who resides on Idimepe Street, Owo. The suspect is currently at large.
The Command disclosed that sustained pressure and intelligence-driven operations eventually led to the successful rescue of the victim, who has since been reunited with her family and is receiving necessary support.
DSP Jimoh stated that efforts were ongoing to apprehend other fleeing suspects and uncover the full circumstances surrounding the abduction.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, CP Felix Ohagwu, commended the professionalism and swift response of officers involved in the operation.
He reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to protecting lives and property across the state and assured residents that criminal elements would not be allowed to operate freely within Ondo State.
The Commissioner also urged members of the public to remain vigilant and continue providing credible and timely information to security agencies to aid crime prevention and investigation.
He stressed that all individuals connected to the crime would be tracked down and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
