12-Year-Old Schoolgirl Abducted in Ibadan, Police Launch Manhunt

Gunmen on Thursday abducted a 12-year-old student of a private secondary school in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, in an early morning attack that has sparked fresh concerns over security in the area.

Eyewitnesses told  Hamattan News that the kidnappers, masked and armed with a gun, drove a car without registration plates and fired sporadically to disperse road users before seizing the girl.

One witness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the incident occurred around 7:20 am at a junction leading to the school premises.

“They pursued the girl’s mother. They abducted her and drove off, though the girl resisted. They escaped through the Challenge area,” the source added.

The Oyo State Police Command confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Thursday by its Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Ayanlade.

“Preliminary information indicates that at about 7:20 am, a 12-year-old female student of a private secondary school in the area was allegedly abducted by unknown armed men at a junction leading to the school premises as she was alighting from a vehicle that conveyed her to school,” Ayanlade said.

He stated that detectives were immediately deployed to the scene for assessment and fact-finding. Eyewitnesses have been identified and questioned, providing leads for ongoing investigations.

The police spokesperson added that the victim’s parents had been contacted and were cooperating with authorities as efforts to secure the child’s safe rescue intensify.

“The state Commissioner of Police has directed a comprehensive and intelligence-driven investigation, assuring that all possibilities and options are being explored to unravel the circumstances and bring those responsible to justice,” Ayanlade said.

He appealed to members of the public to remain calm and volunteer any useful information, promising strict confidentiality.

Thursday’s abduction comes about two months after a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in the state, Wale Oriade, was kidnapped at his office complex in Ibadan. Oriade spent 39 days in captivity before he was released in January 2026.