Gunmen on Monday evening attacked Ora, a community located along the Osun–Kwara State boundary, abducting a retired Customs officer, Emmanuel Owolabi, in an incident that sent shockwaves across the area. The attack, which occurred just before 7 p.m., triggered panic among residents as the assailants escaped into the bush with their victim towards Kwara State.
Eyewitnesses told our correspondent that the sudden appearance of the gunmen caused residents to flee in different directions for safety. The attackers reportedly stormed the area, firing gunshots, creating fear and confusion within the community near the Kwara State border.
According to the victim’s wife, Titilayo Owolabi, the abduction happened right in front of their residence on Akisa Road, Ora, Osun State. She explained that her husband had stopped by her shop shortly after she closed for the day before heading to another part of the town, while she returned home to prepare dinner.
Narrating her ordeal, Titilayo said she had just finished cooking and was about to serve her children when she heard gunshots at the entrance of their compound. At first, she mistook the sounds for those of hunters who sometimes operate around the Osun–Kwara State axis, but the intensity of the gunfire quickly raised alarm.
“I later heard my husband’s voice outside our fence,” she said. “I didn’t know he was being held by gunmen. When I stepped out, one of them jumped into our compound. They were young boys speaking Hausa, so I spoke Hausa to him and knelt, but instead of responding, he started beating me and demanding money.”
She added that amid continuous gunfire, she heard the sound of a motorcycle conveying her husband towards the bush, believed to be in the direction of Kwara State. Shortly after, the gunmen in their compound fled into the bush, leaving the family in distress.
Community sources further disclosed that while escaping the area, the gunmen shot dead a village chief, identified simply as Dennis, who was returning from his farm along the Osun– Keats State boundary.
Confirming the incident on Tuesday, the Osun State Police Command spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi, said the command was aware of the attack and had commenced investigations, assuring residents that efforts were ongoing to track the gunmen and rescue the abducted retired officer safely.