Oyo State Police Command has confirmed the release of a kidnapped headmaster, Mathew Owoade, after sustained security operations forced his abductors to abandon him.
Owoade, a 60-year-old farmer and headmaster, was abducted on Saturday evening along the Igbojaye–Budo Aare bush road in Itesiwaju Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The command’s spokesperson, Olayinka Ayanlade, announced the development in a statement issued in Ibadan on Monday, saying the victim regained his freedom after an intensive joint security operation launched immediately after the incident.
According to Ayanlade, persistent investigative efforts and coordinated pressure from security operatives compelled the kidnappers to release the victim on Monday evening.
The statement read, “The Oyo State Police Command wishes to update members of the public on the earlier press release issued on July 13, 2026, regarding the abduction of a farmer, Mathew Owoade, who was kidnapped along the Igbojaye–Budo Aare bush road in Oyo State on July 12, 2026.
