By SULEIMAN SHEHU

The Police Command in Oyo State has confirmed the abduction of a 12-year-old female student of a private secondary school at the Challenge area of Ibadan by unknown gunmen.

The command’s spokesman, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, confirmed the incident in a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday in Ibadan.

According to the police, the student was abducted around 7.20 a.m. on Thursday at a junction leading to her school premises, after alighting from a vehicle.

He said detectives were immediately deployed to the scene for preliminary assessment and fact-finding after being informed of the incident.

“Eyewitnesses at the scene were identified and questioned, and their accounts are providing valuable leads to assist ongoing investigations.

“The parents of the victim have been contacted and are in close contact with the police as efforts continue to ensure the safe rescue of the child,” he said.

He said that the state Commissioner of Police, Femi Haruna, has directed a comprehensive and intelligence-driven investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident and bring those responsible to justice.

Olayinka urged members of the public to remain calm and support the police with any useful information, saying such information and the informant would be kept confidential. (NAN)