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A community along the Osun–Kwara boundary, Ora town in Osun State, was thrown into panic on Monday evening after suspected gunmen killed a village head and abducted a retired Customs officer during a coordinated attack.
Punch gathered that the assailants shot dead a village chief identified simply as Dennis, while abducting Emmanuel Owolabi, a retired officer of the Nigeria Customs Service. The incident reportedly occurred a few minutes before 7:00 pm, sparking fear and confusion among residents as the attackers fled into the bush with their victim.
Residents who spoke with reporters said the gunmen struck around Akisa Road, Ora, with the abduction happening directly in front of Owolabi’s residence. Many residents reportedly fled the area in different directions as gunshots rang out during the operation.
Owolabi’s wife, Titilayo, recounted the ordeal, saying her husband had briefly visited her shop shortly after she closed for the day before heading elsewhere in the town. She returned home to prepare dinner and was waiting for him when she heard gunshots near their compound.
“When I closed my shop around 6:30 pm, my husband came around and asked me to go home. I cooked and was about to serve my children when I heard gunshots,” she said.
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Titilayo initially believed the sounds were from hunters, but became alarmed when the shots intensified. She later heard her husband’s voice outside the fence and went out to investigate, unaware he had been seized by armed men.
“One of the gunmen jumped into our compound. They were speaking Hausa, so I knelt and spoke Hausa to him, but he beat me and demanded money. While they were shooting, I heard the sound of a motorcycle taking my husband into the bush,” she added.
Community sources disclosed that as the gunmen fled the area, they shot and killed the village head, Dennis, who was reportedly returning from his farm.
Confirming the incident, the Osun State Police Command spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi, said security operatives had been deployed to comb the surrounding bushes in a bid to rescue the abducted victim.
“Immediately after the incident, police operatives and local volunteers pursued the attackers. We are working to rescue the victim. The person killed was not in Osun State; the location falls within Kwara State,” Ojelabi said.
Security efforts in the area have since been intensified.
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