Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted a 60-year-old farmer, Mr Owoade Matthew Kolawole, in Igboyaye, a rural community in Itesiwaju Local Government Area of Oyo State, plunging the village into fear and uncertainty.

Kolawole, described by neighbours as a well-known farmer and family man, was reportedly waylaid on his way home. He had set out on his motorcycle along a familiar bush path when the attackers struck, forcing him off the road and whisking him away into the surrounding forest.

Family members said the abductors wasted no time establishing contact. Using Kolawole’s mobile phones, they called shortly after the incident and demanded a ransom of N30 million, warning the family not to involve security agencies. The demand has left relatives scrambling for options in a community where most residents depend on subsistence farming.

The victim’s son, Mr Owoade Abiola, confirmed that the family immediately alerted security agencies despite the threats. Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, the Oyo State Security Network Agency known as Amotekun, and local vigilante groups quickly mobilised and launched a joint search operation that extended deep into the night.

Teams combed surrounding farmlands, footpaths and forest tracks believed to be used by criminal gangs who have increasingly targeted rural communities in parts of Oyo and neighbouring states. Despite the intensive search, Kolawole could not be located.

The following morning, search parties made a troubling discovery. At about 8:20 a.m., they found the victim’s motorcycle abandoned in a nearby bush, with no sign of a struggle but also no trace of Kolawole. The discovery reinforced fears that the kidnappers had moved him further into the forest, possibly towards known criminal hideouts along the Oyo–Ogun axis.

Abiola said the family is devastated and under pressure from the abductors, who have maintained their ransom demand. He appealed to security agencies to sustain and intensify the search, stressing that the family cannot raise the amount being requested.

Community leaders in Igboyaye have also called on the Oyo State Government and federal security authorities to step up patrols and intelligence gathering in the area, warning that unchecked kidnappings could cripple farming activities and force residents to abandon their homes.