Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Ora Igbomina, Osun State — A brazen bandit raid in the rural border community of Ora Igbomina in Ifedayo Local Government Area has left one person dead and a retired Nigeria Customs Service officer abducted, police and local sources confirmed on Tuesday. The gunmen stormed the community on Monday evening, escalating fears about the spread of armed criminality into regions once considered relatively peaceful.
According to the Inurin of Ora-Igbomina, High Chief Sunday Fadipe, the attackers arrived in the town around 7 p.m., heading straight for the home of the former customs officer, identified as Emmanuel Owolabi. Residents report that the bandits had laid an ambush near his residence, and ambushed him as he was returning home.
As the assailants fled with Owolabi into nearby bushland, they encountered another resident working on his farm in the Akisa area. The gunmen allegedly shot him dead, witnesses said, before disappearing into the night. It was the victim’s 10-year-old son who ran to the town to alert neighbours after hearing the gunshots.
The incident occurred in a community that shares boundaries with Kwara and Ekiti states, a region where insecurity has been on the rise as criminal elements exploit porous rural corridors. While bandit attacks have historically been concentrated in Nigeria’s northwest and northcentral regions, recent incidents in parts of the southwest have fuelled anxiety among residents and local leaders alike. 45c3
The Osun State Police Command confirmed receipt of reports about the attack and the abduction, saying tactical teams have been deployed to the area. DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, the state police spokesperson, said the Divisional Police Officer visited the scene to gather statements and that security operatives were combing the surrounding terrain to locate both the abducted officer and the perpetrators. He characterised the event as a kidnapping case and reiterated that efforts to rescue the victim are ongoing.
The assault sent shockwaves through Ora Igbomina, where residents described scenes of panic and fear as families hurried to secure their homes amidst sporadic gunfire. Many fled to safer parts of the town as news of the raid spread, reflecting deep concerns about the capacity of existing security measures in rural border communities.
Local leaders have called on both state and federal authorities to strengthen security presence, citing inadequate patrols and limited rapid-response capabilities as factors that embolden armed groups. They stressed that communities near inter-state boundaries are especially vulnerable, given the ease with which attackers can move across terrain and vanish into forested areas.
Civil society groups condemned the attack, emphasising the need for coordinated security strategies that protect rural populations and stem the apparent expansion of banditry from other parts of the country into the southwest. Advocates urged security agencies to prioritise intelligence-led operations and community partnerships to prevent similar incursions.
As of this report, no ransom demand has been publicly disclosed, and authorities have not provided further details on the conditions of the abducted former customs officer. Family members, speaking privately, expressed deep concern for his safety and called for urgent action to ensure his release.
The attack in Ora Igbomina adds to a growing list of incidents that underscore the evolving security landscape in Nigeria, where communities in the southwest are increasingly feeling the impact of violent criminal networks once associated primarily with other regions. The outcome of the ongoing police pursuit and rescue operation remains critical to both the wellbeing of the victim and the broader confidence of residents in the region’s security architecture.
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