Gunmen attack Ondo community overnight, abduct nine-year-old

The attackers reportedly injured several residents during the operation and damaged buildings while attempting to forcefully gain access to homes.

Armed men in the early hours of Friday invaded Igbosi in Idogun, Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State, injuring residents and abducting a nine-year-old boy during a violent attack that threw the community into panic.

The abducted child, identified as Olaosebikan Victor, is the son of a pastor in the community. Punch reported that residents said the assailants stormed the area at about 1:30 a.m., firing gunshots and forcing villagers to flee into nearby bushes and surrounding communities for safety.

The attackers reportedly injured several residents during the operation and damaged buildings while attempting to forcefully gain access to homes.

AbdulAzeez Adewuyi, a relative of the victim’s family who resides in Akure, the Ondo State capital, confirmed the incident to PREMIUM TIMES and said family members in the affected community had temporarily moved to a relative’s residence in Owo.

“We heard about the attack and contacted our three family members there. Thank God they are safe now. They have gone to a relative’s house in Owo,” Mr Adewuyi said.

Confirming the incident on Friday, the Ondo State Police Command said it had launched an investigation and intensified efforts to rescue the abducted child and apprehend the kidnappers.

The police spokesperson, Abayomi Jimoh,

a deputy superintendent of police, told PREMIUM TIMES in a phone call that the incident was reported to the police shortly after the attack and that investigation into it has commenced.

“Police and local security teams are currently doing their job and making every effort to arrest the perpetrators and secure the release of the abducted child,” he said.

The latest attack adds to growing concerns over insecurity in parts of the South-West, where incidents of kidnapping and attacks on communities have heightened fears among residents.

The development comes three weeks after the abduction of about 39 schoolchildren and seven teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. The incident triggered widespread outrage and debates over school safety and insecurity in the region.

Security experts have repeatedly warned that the increasing frequency of kidnappings and attacks on communities across the South-west could deepen public anxiety and undermine confidence in existing security measures if not decisively addressed.