Armed bandits on Monday abducted the Secretary of Okeluju Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in Akoko North-West Local Government Area of Ondo State, Joseph Aladesuyi, along with two other individuals in Akure North Local Government Area.
The victims were reportedly kidnapped around 10 a.m. at a poultry farm located along Kajola Road in the Kajola area of Ilu-Abo, a community less than five kilometres from Akure Airport.
According to reports, the victims were working at the farm when the gunmen suddenly attacked and took them away.
The incident sparked panic among residents of Ilu-Abo and neighbouring communities, prompting some schools to temporarily shut down amid fears of further attacks.
Confirming the abduction, the spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, Abayomi Jimoh, said the victims included Aladesuyi, Joseph Kayode, and Easter Akinlolu.
Jimoh explained that preliminary investigations revealed the attackers were masked and emerged from a nearby bush before invading the poultry farm.
He said the gunmen fired several shots into the air, creating panic in the area before whisking the victims away to an unknown location.
Following the incident, security operatives were immediately deployed to the area to begin search and rescue operations.
Jimoh added that the Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, Adebowale Lawal, had ordered the full deployment of operational and intelligence resources to ensure the victims are rescued and those responsible are apprehended.
Security personnel, alongside local security outfits, are currently combing nearby forests and surrounding communities as efforts intensify to track down the kidnappers.
The police acknowledged that the attack has heightened fear among residents, particularly parents and school authorities, leading to the temporary closure of some schools in the affected communities.
