Gunmen abducted a pregnant woman during an attack on Ayede Community in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State on Tuesday evening, police said.
The victim, identified as Mrs. Mary Jesulayomi, was seized when the armed assailants stormed the community near the Federal Secretariat Complex in Akure, firing sporadically into the air and causing panic among residents.
An elderly resident, Pa Ogunleye Mese, recounted that the attackers tried to abduct him and his wife, but both escaped. Jesulayomi, who had visited their shop to purchase items, was taken.
“They came here yesterday evening and started shooting into the air. They came to my house and wanted to kidnap me, but I managed to escape. My wife later escaped, but they took the pregnant woman away,” Pa Mese said.
Confirming the attack, Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer Abayomi Jimoh said security operatives had been deployed to the area.
“A kidnapping incident occurred yesterday at about 7:40 p.m. at Ayede Community, near Alagbaka Extension, Akure, where one Mrs. Mary Jesulayomi was abducted,” Jimoh said. “An 85-year-old woman, Mrs. Ogunleye Mese, was also kidnapped but later released, while her husband, a 90-year-old man, sustained injuries during the attack. Tactical teams have been deployed, and efforts are ongoing to rescue the victim and apprehend the perpetrators.”
