Ode Aye, a once-tranquil community in the Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State, was thrown into mourning following a brutal midnight assault by suspected bandits believed to have links with Boko Haram, SAVANNAH NEWSNOW REPORTS.
The attack, which occurred around midnight on April 20, 2025, claimed the lives of at least 49 residents and left many others injured or missing.
According to eyewitness accounts, the assailants stormed the town in large numbers, heavily armed with rifles and explosives.
They reportedly opened fire indiscriminately on sleeping residents before setting several houses and shops ablaze. The siege, which lasted for hours, reduced parts of the community to ruins.
Among the victims identified so far are Elder Olawadoyin, Moses Ogayemi, Akinsayan Modupe, Tibetan Florence, Babatunde Akinbiyi, and Akinsoju Gboyega. Many others remain unaccounted for as search and rescue operations continue.
Eyewitnesses described the horrifying scene, revealing that entire families were wiped out in the rampage including all members of Mr. Moses Ogayemi’s household.
Residents said the attackers looted homes, destroyed property, and abducted several people during the invasion. Survivors recounted chilling experiences of rape, arson, and terror as they fled into nearby forests to escape the onslaught.
Community leaders disclosed that this is the fifth major attack on Ode Aye in recent times, bringing the cumulative death toll to well over 100. The repeated incidents have heightened fear among locals and raised concerns about the spread of violent extremism into the Southwest.
Security agencies have since been deployed to the area to restore order, while emergency response teams are attending to the wounded in undisclosed hospitals.
Local authorities condemned the killings as “barbaric, senseless, and deeply tragic,” calling for urgent intervention from both the Ondo State Government and federal security agencies.
As of the time of filing this report, no group has officially claimed responsibility for the massacre.
However, intelligence sources suspect a coordinated operation involving bandit networks and Boko Haram cells expanding their operations into the region.
The Ode Aye massacre now ranks among the deadliest attacks in Ondo State’s history, a grim reminder of the worsening insecurity threatening lives and livelihoods across Nigeria.
#Nigerian Police
#Nigerian Army
