Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Gunmen armed with machetes, cutlasses, axes and guns have attacked members of the Fawehinmi family on their farms in Ondo town, Ondo State, abducting one family member and leaving another severely injured in an assault that their lawyer says is connected to a long-running land dispute. The incident occurred on Friday, September 25, 2026, when the attackers invaded the family's farms at Aboba and Ogbomoso camps, unleashing violence on residents and family members who were going about their legitimate business.
The family's lawyer, Barrister Akinbinu Olufemi, provided a graphic account of the attack in a statement on Saturday, September 26, 2026. According to him, the violence was triggered by a dispute over the family property, with petitions already written to security authorities and a legal process ongoing. "That was when all hell broke loose," Akinbinu said, alleging that "thugs hired by one Taju Oguntoye, not interested in waiting for a time-wasting court decision, invaded our farms at Aboba". The lawyer said the attackers subjected the head villager and his wife to severe violence, stripping the woman completely naked so that she could only cover herself with her hands, while her husband was beaten to a stupor.
The attack did not end at Aboba. The gunmen proceeded to the adjoining Ogbomoso camp, where they "wrecked havoc". Akinbinu described the attackers as "43 strong machete, cutlass, axe and gun-drawn street urchins" who descended on the farm. In the chaos that followed, Femi Fawehinmi was captured and beaten to a stupor. Another family member, Adeoye Fawehinmi, was not so lucky. "Adeoye Fawehinmi who was not so lucky and almost got killed," the lawyer said, adding that the attackers subsequently took Adeoye away on one of the motorcycles belonging to the farmers.
Akinbinu alleged that the attackers, believing they might be recorded, hounded Adeoye onto one of six motorcycles they carted away, "perhaps to go finish the job at their torture chambers". As of the time of the lawyer's statement, Adeoye's whereabouts remained unknown. "Adeoye remains in their custody, dead or alive," Akinbinu said, appealing for prayers and assistance for the family. "We enjoin all well wishers to help pray for the safe return of the abducted, currently languishing in their dungeon".
The attack represents a dramatic escalation of a land dispute that had, until Friday, been confined to legal and administrative channels. The Fawehinmi family has been engaged in a protracted legal battle over property, with the matter before both the Ondo State High Court and the Court of Appeal. Akinbinu noted that the dispute had "taken a completely different dimension" with the attack. He also revealed that the individuals behind a petition submitted to the anti-land grabbing unit in Akure had submitted another petition to the Inspector-General of Police in Abuja without the knowledge of the Fawehinmi family. The monitoring unit of the IGP arrived in Ondo town on Thursday, September 24, 2026, and conducted its activities without harassing members of the family, merely inviting them to appear at a later date.
The attack on the Fawehinmi family is not an isolated incident. It is the latest chapter in a pattern of violence and intimidation that has gripped Ondo State in recent months. In March 2026, the Ondo State Anti-Land Grabbing Task Force was accused of harassing a 104-year-old family matriarch and threatening members of the family with arrest despite an ongoing court case over a disputed property. The family's lawyer at the time, Akinbinu Olufemi, accused the task force of attempting to use government machinery to intimidate its members over a property dispute already before the courts. The task force denied the allegations, stating that Pastor Olanrewaju Fawehinmi had ignored repeated invitations and calls concerning the petition, prompting it to obtain a warrant for his arrest.
The violence in Ondo State is not limited to land disputes. The state has witnessed a surge in kidnappings and attacks on farmers in recent months. In August 2026, gunmen abducted two farmers in Parubber community in Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo Local Government Area, demanding a ransom of N100 million for their release. One of the victims, a female farmer, later died in captivity despite the payment of a ransom, according to reports. In July 2026, three farmers were abducted in Agbaje community in Idanre Local Council Area, with the kidnappers demanding N15 million. In April 2026, gunmen killed a mother and her daughter during a kidnapping at a poultry farm in Igushi, Akure North Local Government Area. The Ondo State Police Command has consistently confirmed these incidents and launched search-and-rescue operations, but the attacks have continued unabated.
The Fawehinmi family's ordeal has raised troubling questions about the intersection of land disputes, political power, and violence in Ondo State. The family's lawyer has been vocal about the threats they face, and the fact that the attack occurred despite ongoing legal proceedings suggests that the rule of law is being openly flouted by those who believe they can achieve their aims through violence. The involvement of a named individual, Taju Oguntoye, in the lawyer's account, and the allegation that the attackers were hired to intimidate the family, points to a deliberate strategy of using force to circumvent the courts. The abduction of Adeoye Fawehinmi and the severe beating of Femi Fawehinmi and the head villager and his wife are not random acts of banditry. They are targeted attacks designed to terrorise a family into abandoning its legal claims.
As of Saturday evening, the Ondo State Police Command had not issued an official statement on the attack or the abduction of Adeoye Fawehinmi. Efforts to reach the command's spokesperson, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, were unsuccessful. The State Criminal Investigation Department is expected to take over the case, but no arrests have been announced. For the Fawehinmi family, the wait for news of Adeoye's whereabouts is agonising. For the people of Ondo State, the attack is a stark reminder that the line between legitimate legal dispute and violent criminality has been crossed, and that the consequences are being borne by ordinary citizens who simply want to farm their land in peace.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments