Gunmen Abduct Poultry Farmer’s Son in Ibadan

About four gunmen invaded a poultry farm at Oke Odan, Olomo area of Apete Community in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Monday, and abducted a son of the farm owner at about 5 pm.

According to the Nigerian Tribune, it was gathered that the abductors, said to be Fulani herdsmen, came to the farm, with two of them carrying sophisticated arms, firing sporadically.

A credible source told the Nigerian Tribune that the gunmen were asking for the owner of the farm, but decided to abduct his son when they were told by workers on the farm that the owner was not around.

It was further learnt that immediately the police personnel at Apete were informed of the incident, the Divisional Police Officer, a female, and other police officers were joined by local vigilante men and night guards in search of the kidnapped farm owner’s son, whose age had yet to be ascertained.

Acting on information that the kidnappers went through Olomo forest to link Moniya area, the police operatives and the vigilante group were said to have moved through the forest, but could not find a trace of the abductors and their victim.

As at the time of filing this report, the police operatives were still at Olomo community with the vigilante group, in preparation for a continuous search.

It was also learnt that the state police command had dispatched police teams from Swift Response Squad and others to go after the kidnappers to secure the release of their victim.

A source close to the family said that the kidnappers were likely to be the ones who used to come to the farm to buy manure to spread on land spaces to breed plants for their cows.

The poultry farm is said to be a fairly large one, occupying between three and four acres.

Efforts to get a response to the incident from the state police spokesman, CSP Olugbenga Fadeyi, proved abortive, as calls to his line went unanswered.