Armed men suspected to be bandits stormed the Igbosi area of Idogun in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State in the early hours of Friday, leaving destruction in their wake and abducting a young boy.
Residents said the attackers invaded the community around 1:00 a.m., firing shots repeatedly to create panic.
The gunfire forced people to flee their homes as the gunmen moved through the area unhindered.
During the raid, two residential buildings were reportedly vandalised. The assailants later seized a nine-year-old boy identified as Oluwatobi, the son of a local pastor, Isaac Olaosebikan, before escaping into the surrounding bush paths with him.
Community members said the sudden attack caused widespread fear, with many residents abandoning their homes and running to nearby settlements for safety as the shooting continued.
The incident was later confirmed by the police. The spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force in the state, DSP Abayomi, said security operatives had launched a coordinated search-and-rescue operation to recover the abducted child and apprehend those responsible.
According to him, preliminary reports indicated that the attackers also attempted to force entry into another home during the raid, damaging property before the occupant escaped into the bush to avoid being harmed.
He added that personnel of the police, working alongside local security groups, including the Amotekun Corps, had been deployed to comb nearby forests and possible escape routes.
The Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, CP Felix Ohagwu, has reportedly ordered intensified intelligence-driven operations across the area, directing tactical teams to ensure the safe rescue of the child and the arrest of the perpetrators.
Investigations into the attack are ongoing as security agencies continue surveillance efforts in the affected community.
