Oyo State Police have confirmed the kidnapping of a 12-year-old schoolgirl in the Challenge area of Ibadan, raising renewed worries about the state’s growing insecurity.
The girl, a Junior Secondary School 2 (JSS2) student at Monarch Model College, was reportedly abducted early on Thursday, February 12, while her mother was dropping her off at school, according to Eyes Of Lagos.
Eyewitnesses say the attackers, described as armed and masked, arrived in an unmarked vehicle, followed the mother and child, and struck at a junction near the school. Gunshots were reportedly fired into the air to scare residents, and the mother’s Toyota RAV4, with Lagos registration KRD 350 GP, was punctured.
Despite the mother’s efforts to intervene, the assailants took the girl by force and fled via the Challenge axis of Ibadan. The incident was quickly reported to Orita Challenge Police Station, where officers responded to the scene with the mother for an initial investigation.
Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Olusola Olayinka Ayanlade, confirmed the abduction occurred around 7:20 a.m. He said detectives were immediately deployed, witnesses questioned, and intelligence operations intensified to locate the perpetrators, with the victim’s parents collaborating closely with law enforcement.
The state Commissioner of Police, CP Femi Haruna, has ordered a full, intelligence-led search to rescue the girl safely and apprehend those responsible. The police assured the public that all resources are being mobilised and urged anyone with relevant information to come forward.
