A 33-year-old poultry farmer, Oreoluwa Osonuga, has been abducted by gunmen at the Ikenne Farm Settlement in Ogun State, with his abductors demanding ₦500 million for his release.
Osonuga was reportedly kidnapped at about 12:05 p.m. on Sunday while leaving the farm settlement. The chairman of the settlement, Seye Kehinde, disclosed the incident in a statement issued on Monday.
Kehinde said the gunmen shot at Osonuga’s vehicle before forcing him into a nearby bush. Security personnel, including soldiers deployed from Ilese, subsequently searched the area but did not locate the victim.
According to the chairman, the kidnappers contacted a cousin of Osonuga’s father at about 5 p.m. on Sunday using the victim’s mobile phone and demanded the ₦500 million ransom. No further contact had been received as of Monday.
Kehinde said the police, anti-kidnapping operatives, soldiers and other security agencies were working to secure Osonuga’s release, but there had been no significant breakthrough two days after the abduction.
The incident has heightened concerns among farmers in the settlement. Kehinde recalled that another farmer was abducted from the area on April 1, 2026, and was released after spending several days in captivity and a ransom was reportedly paid.
Osonuga’s granduncle, Soga Osonuga, confirmed the abduction and appealed to security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the farmer safely. He described the incident as a source of emotional and psychological distress for the family.
“It has been a very difficult time for the family,” Soga said, urging the government and security agencies to act quickly and secure his nephew’s release.
Attempts to obtain comments from the Ogun State Police Command were unsuccessful. Calls to the command’s spokesperson, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, were unanswered, while messages sent to him had not received a response as of press time.
The abduction comes days after a joint operation by the police, Department of State Services and Nigerian Army rescued seven students of Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade, from kidnappers in Ogun State. Three suspected kidnappers were reportedly neutralized during the operation.
