- As Residents Desert Town Over Attacks
Ora Igbomina, a community on the Osun-Kwara boundary in Ifedayo Local Government Area of Osun State, is currently deserted following the recent kidnapping cases that rocked the agrarian community.
OSUN DEFENDER reports that three people were kidnapped in the town between December 2025 and February, 2026, a situation sources said has caused panic among residents of the area.
The first incident happened on December 15, 2025, when gunmen attacked the community and abducted a retired Customs officer, Emmanuel Owolabi.
The victim’s wife, Titilayo, stated that the incident occurred in front of Owolabi’s house on Akisa Road, Ora, a few minutes before 7 p.m.
Titilayo, while narrating the incident, said her husband had visited her shop shortly after she closed for the day.
“While he headed to another location in the town, I returned home to prepare dinner,” the wife said.
She added that she heard gunshots at the entrance to their compound, while waiting for her husband after finishing the meal.
“When I got home, I cooked and was about to serve my children when I heard a gunshot. I initially thought the shots were from hunters who sometimes come around, but the gunshots became sporadic. Later, I heard my husband’s voice outside our fence.
“I didn’t know he was being held by bandits. I went out to check what was happening. 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.
“He asked me for money. While all these were going on, they were firing shots. The next thing I heard was the sound of a motorcycle conveying my husband towards the bush.”
Owolabi was however, released on January 13, in Oro Ago, a community in the Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State after the payment of ransom.
Two weeks after Owolabi’s release, the bandits on February 1, again, abducted two other residents of the town – Tayese Adeyeye and Sunday Adewumi.
The victims were reportedly seized by the assailants during an attack on a private residence along Aran-Orin Road in the Papa area of the town.
Following the abduction, the kidnappers reached out to the victim’s family and demanded N100 million to release them.
They were released on March 03, after the gunmen collected millions in ransom.
OSUN DEFENDER reliably gathered that the community paid over N70 million naira to secure the release of the three victims.
In the first case, OSUN DEFENDER gathered from impeccable sources that the community paid the sum of N26.5 million to secure the release of Mr. Owolabi from the kidnapper’s den.
“Yes, the community rallied around and thanks to Asiwaju of Ora-Igbomina, we were able to pay the money. The kidnappers had demanded more than that before but later reduced the ransom.
“They first collected N20 million after which they demanded another N10 million and an iPhone. But after much begging, they collected an additional N6.5 million to make the money N26.5 million naira,” one of the sources told OSUN DEFENDER.
Another source said over N40 million was paid to the bandits who abducted Adeyeye and Adewumi before their release on March 03.
The source said apart from the money, the bandits also collected a new motorcycle and mobile phones as part of the ransom.
According to him, the bandits initially requested N100 million to release the victims. He said the community first paid the sum of N34 million, after which another sum in excess of N10 million was paid to the kidnappers.
He said, “The bandits collected over N40 million before they released Oyekanmi and Busayo. After they were kidnapped, they called their families and demanded N100m.
“The community first paid the sum of N34 million. After that, we begged the bandits to reduce the money which they did and requested additional N20 million and a motorcycle.
“Although I was not sure the community paid the additional N20 million in full, I know they paid more than N10 million in addition to the first N34 million and gave the bandits a new motorcycle and mobile phones before the victims were released.”
Speaking on the mood of the community, the sources said people are leaving the community over fear of being the next victims, adding that some farmers no longer go to their farms while those who go do not stay long.
“It is a serious situation. People now live in fear and some have even left the community. The past months have been hell. The community is being deserted and I wouldn’t blame those leaving the community. What if the people who helped in securing the release of the kidnapped victims were not there for them, maybe we would be talking about another thing today.”
Meanwhile, the Asiwaju of Ora-Igbomina, Dr. Yemi Farounbi, has appealed to the governments of Osun, Kwara and Ekiti States to establish a strategic security alliance aimed at strengthening internal security.
He made the appeal in a statement announcing the release of Adeyeye and Adewumi.
Farounbi also confirmed that “several millions of naira were paid as ransom, along with a motorcycle and mobile phones. We give thanks to God that they are alive and back with us safely.”
He equally called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to urgently deploy more soldiers and police personnel to the boundary areas with Kwara and Ekiti, noting that criminal elements often exploit these routes to carry out attacks.
Kazeem Badmus is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience. A professional in journalism and media writing, Kazeem prioritses accuracy and factual reportage of issues. He is also a dexterous finder of the truth with conscious delivery of unbiased and development oriented stories.
