Gunmen seize Ogun poultry farmer, demand ₦500m

Gunmen have abducted 33-year-old poultry farmer Oreoluwa Osonuga from the Ikenne Farm Settlement in Ogun State, demanding a ₦500 million ransom for his release.

Osonuga was intercepted at approximately 12.05 pm on Sunday while driving out of the settlement. Seye Kehinde, chairman of the farm settlement, said the attackers opened fire on Osonuga’s vehicle before forcing him into the surrounding forest.

Although security personnel, including soldiers from Ilese, were immediately deployed to comb the area, search efforts have so far yielded no results.

Kehinde revealed that the abductors contacted Osonuga’s family on Sunday evening to make the ₦500 million demand.

“Despite continuous efforts by the police, anti-kidnapping units, and military personnel, there has been no breakthrough two days after the abduction,” Kehinde said, urging residents to remain vigilant.

Osonuga’s granduncle, Soga Osonuga, described the family’s ordeal as deeply distressing and appealed to authorities to secure his nephew’s safe release.

“It has been a very difficult time,” he said. “Oreoluwa is a young man striving to contribute to food production, and his abduction has left us emotionally and psychologically shaken. We plead with the government and security agencies to act swiftly.”

Efforts to reach the spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, were unsuccessful as calls and messages went unanswered.

The abduction has intensified security fears across Ogun’s agricultural hubs. Just four months ago, another farmer from the same settlement was kidnapped and released only after a ransom was paid.

The latest incident also follows a recent joint operation in which police, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigerian Army rescued seven students from Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade, after a confrontation with abductors.

Community members have urged security agencies to step up patrols around rural farm settlements, warning that persistent attacks threaten both local livelihoods and regional food security.