Gunmen have abducted the Vice Chairman of Ifedayo Local Government Area in Osun State, Mr. Debo Farounbi, during an attack on Ora, a boundary community along the Osun–Kwara border.
The incident occurred around 10pm on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, when armed men stormed the community and reportedly abducted Farounbi alongside three other persons.
According to eyewitness accounts, the attackers fired shots into the air, triggering panic among residents before whisking the victims away.
However, a combined team of military personnel and local volunteers stationed in the area reportedly mounted resistance, forcing the attackers to abandon three of the abducted individuals.
A resident who spoke on condition of anonymity said the assailants had already moved some victims into the bush before the intervention.
“Four people, two Fulani women and two men, including the Ifedayo Local Government Vice Chairman, Debo Farounbi, were abducted. But the resistance put up by the military made the perpetrators abandon three people,” the source said.
“They still went away with Farounbi. People didn’t sleep all night. We are in serious fear. The incident happened around 10pm on Tuesday,” the resident added.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Osun State Police Command, Abiodun Ojelabi, said one person was abducted.
“He is the Vice Chairman of Ifedayo Local Government, Hon. Debo Farounbi. Immediately the incident happened, the military, police and other security agencies responded. Efforts are ongoing to rescue him,” he said, adding that the case is being treated as an abduction until further investigations are completed.
