Prince Emmanuel Owolabi, a retired customs officer, has reportedly been kidnapped by some gunmen from his Osun State home.
Owolabi was reportedly taken away by the attackers on Monday night when they raided Ora Igbomina, a border hamlet in Osun State’s Ifedayo Local Government Area.
Following their invasion of the Akisa Road area, where the former customs officer was abducted, the gunmen are reported to have also slain the chief of a non-indigenous village outside the Osun boundary.
Vanguard reports that sources told the media outlet that the gunmen broke into Owolabi’s home by force at approximately 7 p.m.
The sources said the assailants fired sporadically into the air to scare residents before whisking the retired customs officer away to an unknown destination.
After abducting Owolabi, the gunmen reportedly moved to another area along the Oteere/Ila axis, where they attempted to abduct some travellers.
However, the travellers, who noticed the presence of the gunmen, reportedly ran to safety. The development angered the assailants, who opened fire on them, leaving several travellers injured.
Local security guards and community vigilantes were said to have mobilised to repel the attackers and protect residents, but their efforts were overwhelmed by the superior firepower of the heavily armed bandits.
When contacted, the Osun State Police Public Relations Officer confirmed the abduction of the former customs officer.
However, the police spokesperson denied reports that anyone was killed during the attack, insisting that while the kidnapping occurred, no death was recorded in the community.
