Panic gripped residents of the Elewura area in Challenge, Ibadan, on Wednesday after armed kidnappers reportedly abducted a middle-aged woman and her twin children while they were on their way to school.
According to eyewitness accounts, the woman was driving the children to school when the assailants intercepted her vehicle at gunpoint and forced her to stop.
The attackers reportedly ordered the victim out of her Kia Sonata before bundling her and the children into their own vehicle and fleeing the scene.
Residents said the kidnappers fired several gunshots into the air during the operation, apparently to scare away passers-by and prevent any attempt to resist the abduction.
The sound of gunfire reportedly sent residents and motorists scrambling for safety as the attackers carried out the operation unhindered.
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The latest incident has heightened concerns over security in Oyo State and comes less than three weeks after the abduction of 47 students and teachers in Ahoro Esiele community in Oriire Local Government Area.
Security agencies are yet to issue an official statement on the latest kidnapping as of the time of filing this report.
Efforts are expected to intensify to secure the safe release of the victims, while residents have called on authorities to strengthen security measures to curb the growing wave of kidnappings in the state.
Further details are expected to emerge as investigations continue.