The police command in Oyo State has said a 12-year-old secondary school student was abducted by unknown armed men, on Thursday morning, at Challenge area, Ibadan.

In a statement by the command’s spokesman, Ayanlade Olayinka, the police said preliminary investigation said that the suspected kidnapping incident occurred at about 7:20 a.m.

“The Oyo State Police Command confirms an incident of suspected kidnapping reported in the Challenge area of Ibadan in the early hours of today, Thursday, 12th February 2026,” the statement said.

The police spokesman said the victim, a female student, was allegedly abducted at a junction close to her school.

The spokesman added that the student was kidnapped immediately she alighted from a vehicle that conveyed her to the school.

“Preliminary information indicates that at about 7:20 a.m., a 12-year-old female student of a private secondary school in the area was allegedly abducted by unknown armed men at a junction leading to the school premises as she was alighting from a vehicle that conveyed her to school,” Mr Olayinka said.

Following the formal report of the case, the police spokesman noted that detectives deployed to the scene of the incident interrogated witnesses, who provided useful leads assisting ongoing investigations.

The spokesperson said, “The incident was promptly reported to the police, and detectives were immediately deployed to the scene for preliminary assessment and fact-finding. Eyewitnesses at the scene were identified and questioned, and their accounts are providing valuable leads to assist ongoing investigations.”

He added that the parents of the victim had been contacted, with efforts underway to safely rescue the student.

The state’s Police Commissioner, Femi Haruna, directed a comprehensive and intelligence-led investigation, assuring that possible options would be explored to address the incident.

Promising utmost confidentiality, the command urged members of the public to support its ongoing rescue efforts with any useful information.