Ondo community leader abduction sparks police rescue efforts after gunmen kidnapped a traditional ruler and injured his wife in Owo

Suspected gunmen have abducted the traditional ruler of Ode Oriya community in Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State, Adeniyi Adelana, while his wife sustained a gunshot injury during the attack.

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The incident occurred at about 8 p.m. on Saturday when the assailants reportedly stormed the community and invaded the residence of the 60-year-old traditional ruler before whisking him away to an unknown destination through a nearby bush path.

Confirming the incident on Sunday, the spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, said security operatives had launched a coordinated rescue operation to secure the release of the victim.

According to Jimoh, preliminary investigations revealed that approximately six armed men carried out the attack under the cover of darkness.

“The Ondo State Police Command has launched a coordinated rescue operation following the abduction of a community leader by suspected kidnappers in Ode Oriya Village, Owo Local Government Area of the state,” he said.

“Preliminary reports indicate that at about 8:05 pm on the reported date, a group of approximately six armed men stormed the residence of Mr Adeniyi Adelana, aged 60, the Baale of Ode Oriya Village.

The assailants reportedly invaded the premises under the cover of darkness and forcefully whisked the victim away through a nearby bush path to an unknown destination.”

The Ondo Community Leader Abduction triggered an immediate response from security agencies, with the Divisional Police Officer of B Division, Owo, mobilising a combined team of police operatives and other security personnel to the scene.

Jimoh said the area was secured shortly after the attack, while investigators conducted a preliminary assessment as part of efforts to track down the kidnappers.

During the attack, the victim’s wife suffered a gunshot wound to her right hand.

Police said she was rescued and rushed to a medical facility, where she is receiving treatment.

“She was promptly rescued and taken to a nearby medical facility, where she is currently receiving treatment and responding positively to medical care,” Jimoh stated.

The command disclosed that a comprehensive search-and-rescue operation is underway, with security operatives combing nearby forests, bush paths and suspected escape routes in a determined effort to locate the abducted community leader.

According to the police, tactical deployments have also been reinforced across Owo and surrounding communities to strengthen security and improve operational effectiveness.

The Ondo Community Leader Abduction has raised fresh concerns about kidnapping activities in parts of the state, prompting intensified security measures.

Jimoh said the Commissioner of Police, Felix Ohagwu, had directed all tactical units, intelligence assets and operational teams within the command to intensify efforts toward the victim’s rescue and the arrest of those responsible.

“The command remains resolute in its commitment to ensuring that the victim is reunited safely with his family while all those involved face the full weight of the law,” the police spokesperson added.

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Security agencies have continued search operations as efforts to locate the abducted traditional ruler and apprehend the suspects remain ongoing.