Gunmen have abducted a traditional ruler in the Owo area of Ondo State and shot his wife during a violent night raid on the monarch's residence. The attack has triggered a wide search-and-rescue operation as security agencies work to track down the assailants and free the kidnapped king, in the latest case of insecurity targeting community leaders in Nigeria's southwest.
According to the police, the attack took place on Friday night, June 13, when a group of about six armed men stormed the community at around 8:05 p.m. The attackers forced their way to the monarch's home in Ode Oriya village before overpowering those present and carrying out the abduction under the cover of darkness.
The traditional ruler, identified as Adeniyi Adelana, was seized by the gunmen and taken away through a bush path leading out of the community. He remained in the captivity of his abductors as the search for him got under way, with the circumstances of the raid still being pieced together by investigators.
During the assault, the monarch's wife was shot in the hand by the attackers. She was promptly rescued and rushed to a nearby medical facility, where, according to the police, she is currently receiving treatment and responding positively to medical care after the ordeal.
Operatives of the Ondo State Police Command, Owo Division, were swiftly mobilised to the scene following a distress call raised over the raid. Their early intervention helped secure the injured woman and stabilise the immediate situation before a wider operation to pursue the kidnappers could be organised.
A comprehensive search-and-rescue operation has since been launched to locate and free the abducted monarch. Security personnel have been combing nearby forests, bush paths, and suspected escape routes in an effort to trace the movement of the kidnappers and secure the traditional ruler's safe release.
The spokesman for the Ondo State Police Command, Abayomi Jimoh, confirmed the incident in a statement, in which he detailed the rescue of the monarch's wife and the ongoing manhunt. The abduction adds to growing concern over the safety of traditional rulers and residents in parts of the state, where such attacks have continued to unsettle local communities.