Gunmen Kidnap Student, Father in Ondo State, Nigeria

An unsettling incident occurred in Ondo State, Nigeria, as a Senior Secondary School student and his father were abducted by suspected gunmen along the Edo and Ondo road highway. The victims, identified as Jethro Onose, a student at the Nigerian Navy Secondary School, Imeri, in the Ose council area, and his father, Maliki Onose, were reportedly abducted on Monday.

According to sources, the father was driving his son back to school following the resumption of classes after a holiday break when their vehicle was attacked by the gunmen. A family source informed Vanguard in Akure that Maliki Onose was returning his son to school after a three-week holiday when the incident took place.

“They were flagged down by the suspects, and the father, who thought they were security personnel, stopped the vehicle,” the source explained. The gunmen then pulled the father and son from their vehicle and marched them into a nearby forest.

Reports suggest that the father managed to call his family to inform them of the abduction. He also sent a photo of himself and his son, still in his school uniform, in the dense forest. So far, the abductors have not established further communication with the family.

Local villagers have rallied together to create a search team in hopes of rescuing the victims. One community leader stated that local hunters have joined the search and expressed optimism about finding the father and son soon.

The state Police spokesperson, Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed the incident and stated that efforts are underway to rescue the victims and apprehend the perpetrators. “We are currently working with the Navy to ensure that the victims are rescued and the perpetrators are arrested,” Odunlami said.