Residents of the Tinumola area in Osogbo, Osun State, were thrown into panic on the night of January 12, 2022, after a man identified as Ogunlana Abimbola reportedly escaped an attempted attack by unidentified assailants.
The incident occurred along Akinloye Street, where the victim resides. Efforts to reach him and his wife for comments were unsuccessful as they were not at home when this reporter visited the area.
An eyewitness, Olalekan Naheem, who lives in the same compound, said he witnessed the moment the incident unfolded while returning from a nearby shop.
According to him, he saw the victim running in distress while being chased by several men.
“One of them was holding a large cutlass. He wore a black shirt and had his face covered. I couldn’t clearly identify the others because I was frightened and did not want to put myself at risk,” Naheem said.
He added that he immediately returned to the compound to alert the victim’s wife.
“I advised her to remain indoors because some armed men were chasing her husband,” he said.
Another eyewitness, who requested anonymity, alleged that the attackers arrived in a black Toyota jeep before intercepting the victim.
The source said the men alighted from the vehicle and pursued Ogunlana on foot after he fled.
“Sensing danger, he ran, and the men chased him. He managed to escape,” the source said, adding that the incident caused panic in the area.
According to residents, shop owners hurriedly closed their businesses while others fled for safety during the incident, which reportedly lasted less than 15 minutes.
“When I later stepped out, the vehicle and the men were no longer around,” the anonymous witness added.
As of the time of filing this report, the motive behind the attempted attack remains unclear. Residents have called on security agencies to investigate the incident and strengthen security presence in the area.
