The Osun State Police Command has confirmed the abduction of a Fulani herdsman, Yahaya Sulaiman, in Ijebu-Jesa, Oriade Local Government Area of the state.
Confirming the incident on Wednesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, said security operatives had launched an investigation and intensified efforts to rescue the victim.
According to Ojelabi, preliminary findings suggest that the abductors specifically targeted Sulaiman during the attack.
“Yahaya Sulaiman, a Fulani herder, is the victim. The incident was reported and police moved to the scene immediately. From all indications, he was targeted,” he said.
The police spokesperson explained that the gunmen reportedly asked residents about the victim’s whereabouts before carrying out the abduction.
“On arrival at the scene, they met a person whom they told that they were looking for the abducted person. They were specific,” he added.
Ojelabi further stated that although investigations were ongoing, the victim’s family had yet to formally report the matter to the anti-kidnapping unit.
“Although investigation is going on, the victim’s family are yet to report to the anti-kidnapping authorities, but the police are doing what they can pending when they will come,” he said.
A source in Ijebu-Jesa, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the incident occurred around 9 p.m. on Monday along the Iloko/Ijebu-Jesa Road.
Another security source in the town disclosed that the abductors appeared to have prior knowledge of the victim and deliberately went after him.
“The incident happened around 21:00 hours of May 4, 2026, along Iloko/Ijebu-Jesa Road in Oriade Local Government Area. The gunmen struck late in the evening and specifically asked for the whereabouts of Yahaya Sulaiman,” the source said.
The source described Sulaiman as a prominent Fulani cattle rearer in the area and claimed that the kidnappers had contacted his family to demand a ransom of N70 million.
