Gunmen kidnap Oyo school headmaster, demand N30m ransom

Barely 72 hours after the federal government celebrated the dramatic military rescue of dozens of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State, a fresh security crisis has hit the region.

Armed gunmen suspected to be bandits have abducted Mr. Matthew Kolawale Owoade, the 60-year-old headmaster of Nomadic Basic School, Igbojaye, located in the Itesiwaju Local Government Area of Oyo State. The kidnappers have established contact with the family, demanding a ₦30 million ransom for his release.

The incident occurred between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, 2026. Mr. Owoade, a well-known community educator popularly referred to as "Onaiye," was returning from a visit to his farm at Budo Aare when he was ambushed and intercepted by armed assailants.

The school headmaster was forced off his motorcycle and marched into the surrounding dense vegetation.

[Saturday, 5:30 PM: Headmaster ambushed at Budo Aare farm] ➔ [Saturday Night: Kidnappers call son demanding ₦30m] ➔ [Sunday, 8:20 AM: Search party recovers abandoned motorcycle] ➔ [Monday: Police launch joint rescue operation]

By Sunday morning, July 12, an anxious local search party combing the area discovered Mr. Owoade’s motorcycle abandoned in the bush, confirming fears that he had been taken deep into the forest tracts linking northern Oyo.

According to the victim's son, Abiola Owoade, the kidnappers wasted no time. Using the headmaster’s personal mobile phone, the armed gang placed a call to the family demanding an unconditional ₦30,000,000 payment.

The sudden abduction has thrown the Igbojaye community and the broader Itesiwaju education sector into panic. Colleagues and family members have issued an urgent appeal to the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to step in immediately.

Confirming the incident on Monday morning, the spokesperson for the Oyo State Police Command, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, stated that tactical teams are already on the trail of the kidnappers.

"I can confirm to you that a farmer, Mr. Owoade Mathew, was kidnapped at his farm in Budo Aare," Ayanlade said. "Efforts are actively underway to rescue the man unhurt and apprehend the perpetrators."

The timing of the incident places immense pressure on local security architecture. Following the high-profile 56-day hostage crisis in the neighboring Oriire local government area—which ended with a forceful, zero-ransom military raid—this latest attack underscores the persistent threat of rural banditry targeting agricultural and educational workers in the state's border communities.