Gunmen have abducted the Vice Chairman of the Ifedayo Local Government Area in Osun State, Mr Debo Farounbi. The attack occurred in Ora, a boundary community along the Osun/Kwara border, around 10 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. According to reports, the gunmen fired shots into the air, causing panic among residents before taking Farounbi and three other individuals away.
Military and Local Volunteers Respond
Military personnel and local volunteers stationed in the town mounted a strong resistance against the attackers. Their efforts forced the perpetrators to abandon three of the four abducted victims. A resident who spoke anonymously for security reasons told Punch that the gunmen had successfully moved those abducted toward the bush. The source said, “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. They went away with Farounbi. Our people did not sleep throughout the night. We are in serious fear. The incident happened around 10 p.m. on Tuesday.”
Police Confirmation and Rescue Efforts
The spokesperson for the Osun State Police Command, Abiodun Ojelabi, confirmed that one person was abducted. “He is a local government Vice Chairman, Hon Debo Farounbi. Immediately the incident happened, the military, police, and others responded. Efforts are in place to rescue the man. It is abduction until we are able to prove that it is a case of kidnapping,” Ojelabi stated.
