A joint security operation involving the Oyo State Police Command, the Oyo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun, local vigilantes and hunters has rescued a couple abducted by suspected kidnappers in the Oke Ogun area of Oyo State.
The rescue operation was disclosed in a statement on Thursday by the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, who said the victims, Alhaji Busiru Booni and his wife, Alhaja Pitiku, were rescued unhurt after a coordinated search led by the Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Olugbenga.
According to the statement, the couple was abducted late on Saturday, July 5, 2026, when about five armed men stormed Tiro Village in Irawo, fired sporadically into the air and whisked the victims away to an unknown destination.
Olayinka said the Commissioner of Police immediately ordered a coordinated search and rescue operation involving the police, Amotekun Corps, local vigilantes and hunters to track down the abductors and secure the victims’ release.
He explained that the operation recorded a breakthrough after security operatives recovered a Bajaj motorcycle earlier reported stolen and abandoned in a nearby bush.
“The recovered motorcycle, coupled with the deployment of technological leverage, enabled the joint security team to identify the hideout of the hoodlums,” the police spokesperson stated.
He added that the suspects opened fire upon sighting the advancing security team, resulting in a gun duel.
“However, owing to the dense forest terrain and the difficult surrounding environment, the hoodlums escaped into the bush with varying degrees of gunshot wounds, abandoning the victims in the process.
“The victims were rescued unhurt, immediately evacuated to a medical facility for evaluation and necessary treatment, subsequently discharged after being certified to be in stable condition, and have since been reunited with their family,” Olayinka said.
The command urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report anyone seeking unusual medical treatment or presenting suspected bullet wounds at hospitals or within their communities, noting that such information would aid ongoing efforts to apprehend the fleeing suspects.
It also commended the Amotekun Corps, local vigilantes, hunters and community members for their timely information and collaboration, reaffirming its commitment to protecting lives and property across Oyo State while intensifying efforts to rid the state of criminal elements.
