By Erewunmi Peace

Tension gripped residents of Ora-Igbomina in Ifedayo Local Government Area on Monday night after suspected bandits attacked the community, abducting a retired customs officer and killing a resident.

According to local traditional authorities, the attack occurred at around 7:00 p.m., when gunmen reportedly stormed the border town and made a beeline for the home of Mr. Emmanuel Owolabi, a former Nigerian Customs officer. The assailants are said to have ambushed Owolabi as he was returning to his residence before whisking him away.

High Chief Sunday Fadipe, the Inurin of Ora-Igbomina, told reporters that the attackers shot and killed a local man working on his farm with a headlamp as they fled through nearby farmlands. The victim’s 10-year-old son ran to the community to raise the alarm.

The Osun State Police Command confirmed receipt of the incident report and said officers had visited the scene and launched a manhunt for the suspects. Police spokesperson DSP Abiodun Ojelabi said operatives, alongside local security networks, were combing the bush to secure the safe return of the abducted former officer.

Residents described a climate of fear following the attack and called on both state and federal authorities to strengthen security deployment in the area, which shares boundaries with Kwara and Ekiti states.

Ora-Igbomina and other rural communities in southwestern Nigeria have periodically experienced violent incursions by armed groups, often resulting in kidnappings, killings, and the displacement of residents. Security challenges in border areas have been exacerbated by limited security coverage and the mobility of criminal elements across state lines.