Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Some yet-to-be-identified assailants have hacked a 48-year-old man, Peter Baba Danasin, to death while he was travelling with his wife along a bush path in the Igbojaye area of Oyo State, in an attack that has once again exposed the pervasive insecurity haunting rural communities across the state. PUNCH Metro learnt on Thursday, August 20, 2026, that the tragic incident occurred on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, at about 4 p.m., while the deceased and his wife were travelling from their home in the Budo Seweje area of the state. A counter-insurgency expert, Zagazola Makama, who shared details of the incident on X, disclosed that the assailants dashed out of the bush and attacked the couple without any provocation, leaving the husband dead and the wife traumatised.
According to Makama, police sources indicated that the assailants inflicted multiple machete wounds on Danasin's body, while his wife miraculously managed to escape the brutal attack. "Two suspected attackers emerged from the bush and allegedly attacked the couple. The wife reportedly managed to escape, while Danasin sustained deep machete cuts across various parts of his body. He was said to have died at the scene from the injuries sustained during the attack," Makama said in a post on X. A police team deployed to the area recovered the body of the deceased and deposited it at a morgue, as investigations into the gruesome killing commenced.
When contacted on Thursday, August 20, 2026, the Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Alayande, confirmed the incident in a telephone conversation with our correspondent. Alayande noted that an investigation has commenced into the incident and that efforts are on to arrest the fleeing suspects. "The story is true, and efforts are on to arrest the fleeing suspects," he said. The police spokesperson's confirmation brings some assurance that the case is being taken seriously, but for the family of Peter Baba Danasin, the damage has already been done – a husband and father cut down in the prime of his life on a routine journey home.
The killing of Danasin is the latest in a series of violent attacks that have plagued Oyo State, particularly in its rural and semi-urban areas where security presence remains thin and criminals operate with alarming impunity. Just days before this incident, on August 15, 2026, suspected cultists hacked a 35-year-old man identified as Idris to death in the Apete-Akufo area of Ibadan, dumping his lifeless body along a bush path in Ologuneru Community. In April 2026, a 65-year-old farmer, Kehinde Joseph, was brutally murdered by suspected Fulani herders in Ogbomoso after he declined their request to graze their cattle on his cassava farm. The pattern is clear: ordinary citizens going about their daily lives are being cut down by machete-wielding assailants, and the state appears unable to protect them.
The bush path where Danasin was killed represents a particular vulnerability for rural communities, where poorly lit, isolated routes become death traps for travellers. The fact that the attack occurred in broad daylight at 4 p.m. is even more alarming, suggesting that the assailants are operating with a level of boldness that points to either a breakdown of law enforcement or a calculated strategy to terrorise communities into submission. The wife's escape, while fortunate, leaves her with the traumatic memory of watching her husband being hacked to death, and her testimony will be crucial in helping the police identify and track down the perpetrators.
The Oyo State Police Command has promised a thorough investigation, but residents of the Igbojaye area and surrounding communities are demanding more than promises. They want visible security presence, patrols along vulnerable routes, and a commitment from the government to address the root causes of the violence that has made rural travel a life-threatening gamble. The command's Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Alayande, confirmed that efforts are on to arrest the fleeing suspects, but the question on everyone's mind is whether these efforts will yield results before more lives are lost. The police must move beyond rhetoric and demonstrate that they have the capacity and the will to bring the killers of Peter Baba Danasin to justice.
As the investigation continues, the body of Peter Baba Danasin lies in a morgue, waiting for burial, while his wife and family are left to grieve and grapple with the sudden, violent loss of their loved one. The assailants remain at large, and until they are apprehended, the people of Igbojaye and Budo Seweje will continue to live in fear, knowing that the next victim could be any one of them. The killing of Peter Baba Danasin is not just a crime against one man and his family; it is a crime against the entire community and a stark reminder of the failure of the state to provide basic security for its citizens. The police must act swiftly and decisively to arrest the perpetrators and restore confidence in the ability of law enforcement to protect the people of Oyo State.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments