adminreporter
The young girl was reportedly abducted at about 7:20am while on her way to school by unidentified armed men near the entrance of her school.
A12-year-old pupil has been kidnapped in the Challenge area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, in the early hours of Thursday.
The young girl was reportedly abducted at about 7:20am while on her way to school by unidentified armed men near the entrance of her school.
Confirming the incident, the Oyo State Police Command disclosed that the victim, a female student of a private secondary school in the Challenge axis of Ibadan, was abducted shortly after she alighted from a vehicle that had conveyed her to school.
In an official statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer for the state, Ayanlade Olayinka, the Command said the suspected kidnapping occurred at a junction leading directly to the school premises.
The statement read, “The Oyo State Police Command confirms an incident of suspected kidnapping reported in the Challenge area of Ibadan in the early hours of today, Thursday, 12th February 2026.
“Preliminary information indicates that at about 7:20 a.m., 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.”
The police said the matter was immediately reported to authorities, prompting a rapid deployment of detectives and tactical teams to the scene to carry out preliminary assessment and gather intelligence that could aid the rescue operation.
According to the Command, eyewitnesses present at the scene have been identified and questioned by investigators, with their testimonies already providing crucial leads for ongoing operations aimed at tracking down the perpetrators.
“Eyewitnesses at the scene were identified and questioned, and their accounts are providing valuable leads to assist ongoing investigations,” the police statement added.
The Command further disclosed that the parents of the abducted pupil had been contacted and were working closely with law enforcement authorities as efforts intensify to secure the safe rescue of their daughter.
The Commissioner of Police in Oyo State has since ordered the Command for a comprehensive and intelligence-driven investigation into the incident, vowing that no effort will be spared in tracking down those responsible for the crime.
According to the Command, “all possibilities and options are being explored to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident and bring those responsible to justice.”
The police also appealed to members of the public to remain calm and avoid spreading panic, urging residents with useful information that could assist the investigation to come forward and support ongoing rescue efforts.
