Gunmen abduct retired customs officer, kill village chief in Osun

Gunmen attacked Ora community in Osun state on Monday, December 15, abducting a retired customs officer, Emmanuel Owolabi, and killing a village chief.

The attack, which occurred shortly before 7 p.m., forced residents to flee in different directions as the gunmen escaped into the surrounding bush with the victim.

Owolabi’s wife, Titilayo, said her husband was abducted in front of their residence on Akisa road, Ora, Osun state.

She explained that Owolabi had earlier visited her shop after she closed for the day before heading elsewhere in the town.

According to her, she had returned home to prepare dinner and was about to serve their children when she heard gunshots near their compound.

At first, she assumed the sounds were from hunters who occasionally pass through the area, but became alarmed when the shooting intensified.

She said she later heard her husband’s voice outside the fence and went out to investigate, unaware that he was already in the custody of the attackers.

“One of the gunmen jumped over the fence into our compound.

“Those I saw were young boys. I knelt down and spoke Hausa to him because they were speaking Hausa.

“Instead of responding, he started beating me and asked me for money.

“While all this was going on, they were firing shots.

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

She added that the two gunmen inside the compound eventually fled into the bush.

Residents also disclosed that as the gunmen were fleeing the area, they shot and killed a village chief identified as Dennis, who was returning from his farm.

The Osun state police command spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi, confirmed the incident on Tuesday.

He  said security operatives had intensified efforts to rescue the abducted victim.

Ojelabi stated that police officers, with the support of local volunteers, immediately pursued the attackers and have since increased deployment in the area to comb the surrounding bush.

He added that while one person was killed during the incident, the fatal shooting occurred within Kwara state jurisdiction.