Gunmen on Monday evening stormed Ora, a border community between Osun and Kwara states, kidnapping a retired Customs officer, Emmanuel Owolabi, and killing a local villager during the attack.
The incident, which occurred shortly before 7 p.m., sent shockwaves through the community as residents fled in fear while the assailants escaped into the surrounding bush with their victim.
Speaking with The PUNCH, Owolabi’s wife, Titilayo, said the abduction took place right in front of their home on Akisa Road, Ora. She recalled that her husband had stopped by her shop after she closed for the day and asked her to head home.
“I closed my shop around 6:30 p.m. and went home to cook for the children,” she said. “While I was about to serve the food, I suddenly heard a gunshot. At first, I thought it was hunters, but the shooting became intense.”
Titilayo said she later heard her husband’s voice outside their compound, unaware that he was already being held by the gunmen.
“One of the attackers jumped into our compound. They were young boys, and they were speaking Hausa. I knelt down and spoke Hausa to him, but instead of replying, he started beating me and demanding money,” she recounted.
She added that amid continuous gunfire, she heard the sound of a motorcycle speeding off with her husband toward the bush, after which the remaining gunmen fled.
“My husband is a retired Customs officer. I am pleading with everyone to help us bring him back home safely,” she said.
Community sources also disclosed that as the gunmen fled the area, they shot and killed a village chief identified simply as Dennis, who was on his way back from his farm. The killing reportedly occurred on the Kwara State side of the boundary.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Osun State Police Command, Abiodun Ojelabi, said security operatives had been deployed to the area and were combing the bush in a bid to rescue the abducted officer.
“Immediately the incident occurred, police operatives and other volunteers went after the gunmen,” Ojelabi said. “We are making serious efforts to rescue the victim. One person was killed, but the location of the killing falls within Kwara State.”
Security agencies, he added, have intensified patrols in the border area as investigations continue.
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