Operatives of the Oyo State Police Command have foiled an attempted kidnapping incident in its renewed efforts towards the fight against crime and criminality.

The incident, according to the police, occurred on April 18, 2026, at about 6:30 p.m. at Onigambari, along the busy Mamu/Ijebu-Ode Road.

Confirming the incident to journalists, the Oyo State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Ayanlade Olayinka, said preliminary information indicated that suspected hoodlums launched an attack on vehicles conveying passengers returning from a social event in Ibadan.

In the ensuing chaos, several occupants reportedly fled into the surrounding bush to escape the assailants but were later safely reunited.

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He disclosed that police operatives, acting swiftly on a distress call, responded promptly to the scene and effectively disrupted the attackers’ operation, preventing what was termed ‘planned abduction’.

During the incident, two persons sustained gunshot injuries and are receiving medical attention at Amazing Hospital and Ibadan Central Hospital.

Occupants of two other affected vehicles also reported at the Awa-Ijebu Police Division and are said to be responding to treatment.

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Following the incident, the commissioner of police in Oyo State, Ambimbola Olugbenga, has ordered the deployment of additional personnel to the area to reinforce security presence and prevent any recurrence of such criminal activities.

The command said that efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects, while a full-scale investigation into the incident has commenced.

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Residents and road users have equally been urged to remain calm and vigilant and to cooperate with law enforcement authorities by providing credible information that could assist in tracking down the perpetrators.