Confusion has trailed reports that victims abducted in Igbope, Oorelope Local Government Area of Oyo State, had regained freedom after an ultimatum issued by Yoruba Nation activist Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho.
Both the Oorelope Local Government and the Oyo State Police Command on Sunday dismissed claims circulating on social media that the victims had been released.
The denial followed celebrations in parts of the community after videos surfaced showing residents singing and dancing alongside Igboho, with claims that a kidnapped woman, her children and a sibling had been freed.
Authorities, however, insisted that the victims remained in captivity.
Chairman of Oorelope Local Government, Jacob Ogundiran, described the reports as false and misleading, urging residents to rely only on information from credible sources.
“The victims are still in captivity, and we urge the public to discountenance any information to the contrary,” he said.
Ogundiran added that security agencies were intensifying efforts to rescue the victims and secure their safe return.
The spokesperson for the Oyo State Police Command, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, also dismissed reports linking the alleged release to Igboho’s intervention.
He said police operations to rescue the abducted persons were still ongoing.
The victims were reportedly kidnapped during a midnight attack on a family in Igbope. Their abductors were said to have initially demanded N300 million ransom before reducing it to N150 million.
Before the reports of their release emerged, Igboho had issued a two-hour ultimatum to suspected kidnappers and some Fulani community leaders, demanding the immediate release of those held captive.
In a viral video, the activist accused some criminal elements of involvement in kidnappings and killings in the area and warned that decisive action would follow if the victims were not released.
Despite the celebrations that followed his visit, authorities insist there is no evidence that the hostages have regained freedom, maintaining that rescue efforts remain ongoing.