The Oyo State Police Command has launched a high-priority manhunt following the brazen daylight abduction of a 12-year-old student in Ibadan on Thursday morning (February 12, 2026). The victim, a student of a private secondary school, was seized at approximately 7:20 a.m. in the Challenge area of the city while arriving for classes.
According to preliminary reports confirmed by the State Police Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Ayanlade, the girl was alighting from the vehicle that conveyed her to school when masked gunmen intercepted her at a junction leading to the school premises. Eyewitnesses reported that the assailants, who arrived in a vehicle without registration plates, fired shots into the air to disperse bystanders before forcibly dragging the girl into their car and fleeing toward the Challenge-Orita axis.
Commissioner of Police, Sonubi Ayodele, has ordered a comprehensive, intelligence-driven investigation, deploying tactical units and detectives to comb the surrounding areas and potential escape routes. While the identity of the girl and her family has been withheld for security reasons, the police confirmed they are in close contact with the parents as rescue efforts intensify.
This incident has reignited fears over the safety of schoolchildren in Southwestern Nigeria, following a similar high-profile abduction of an APC chieftain in Ibadan late last year. Authorities are urging residents to remain calm and provide any credible information that could assist in the safe recovery of the child.
