Residents of Ora Igbomina in Ifedayo Local Government Area of Osun State were thrown into panic on Monday night following a violent attack by armed bandits, which left the leader of non-indigenes in the town dead and a former customs officer abducted.
Eyewitnesses said the assailants stormed the ancient town, located near the Osun–Kwara–Ekiti borders, firing sporadic gunshots and taking control of parts of the community for several hours. The attackers reportedly abducted Mr. Emmanuel Owolabi, a retired customs officer, from his residence during the invasion.
The attack, which was said to have been concentrated around the Akisa area and its environs, forced hundreds of residents to flee their homes in fear of being kidnapped. Locals were seen gathering in small groups afterward, discussing the incident amid palpable tension.
Community sources disclosed that local security guards and vigilante groups attempted to repel the attackers but were overwhelmed due to their inferior weapons compared to those carried by the bandits.
Confirming the incident, the Inurin of Ora Igbomina land, High Chief Isaac Fadipe, said operatives of the Amotekun Corps, local hunters, and community vigilantes had begun combing surrounding forests in an effort to track the attackers and secure the release of the abducted victim.
Fadipe appealed to the Osun State Government and Governor Ademola Adeleke to urgently intervene by deploying more armed security personnel to the area.
“We are now living in perpetual fear, and we want the government to act fast on the security of the people,” he said.
The Osun State Police Command also confirmed the attack. The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Abiodun Ojelabi, said additional police personnel had been deployed to the community and that operatives, alongside volunteers, pursued the attackers immediately after the incident.
Ojelabi added that one person was shot during the attack, noting that the fatality was recorded across the border in Kwara State.
“We are working hard to rescue the victim,” he said.