Terrorists attack Osun community, abduct retired customs officer, kill village head

By Samuel Ogunsona

A wave of fear swept through Ora, a border community in Osun State on Tuesday.

The wife of the kidnapped said the invaders spoke Hausa and that she engaged them in Hausa language before they started beating her after which they took her husband away.

This followed the invasion of the community by gunmen.

They kidnapped a retired Customs officer, Emmanuel Owolabi. They also killed a village head, identified as Dennis.

The attack occurred around 7 pm on Akisa Road, leaving residents in a state of panic.

According to Owolabi’s wife, Titilayo, her husband was taken by the gunmen in front of their house. She recounted that she had returned home from her shop, cooked dinner, and was waiting for her husband when she heard gunshots near their compound entrance.

“I initially thought the shots were from hunters who sometimes come around, but the gunshots became sporadic. Later, I heard my husband’s voice outside our fence,” she said.

Titilayo described how one of the gunmen jumped into their compound, beat her, and demanded money while firing shots.

“The next thing I heard was the sound of a motorcycle conveying my husband towards the bush,” she added.

The gunmen reportedly fled into the bush after abducting Owolabi. In their escape, they shot and killed a village chief, Dennis, who was returning from his farm.

The police confirmed the incident and stated that the killing occurred within Kwara State jurisdiction.

“We are working hard to rescue the victim,” said Abiodun Ojelabi, spokesperson for the Osun State Police Command. “More deployment has been made to comb the bush in the area.”

Residents have called for increased security measures to prevent further attacks.