Nigerian Couple Flee After Assassination Attempt Linked to Cultists in Osun State

By Ibrahim Kegbegbe

A Nigerian couple, Mr and Mrs Dahunsi Irebowale John and Dahunsi Juliana Oluwabunmi, have reportedly fled the country after surviving an assassination attempt allegedly carried out by a violent cult group in Osogbo, Osun State.

The couple’s ordeal began earlier this year when cultists were implicated in a brutal murder near their community. Police arrested several members of the group in February 2024 following investigations into the crime.

However, to the shock of many residents, the suspects were released barely two months later, in April, amid widespread rumours of political interference and financial inducement.

Community members said that shortly after their release, the cultists launched a coordinated threat campaign against the Dahunsi family. Matters escalated when armed men believed to be cult members reportedly targeted the couple in an assassination attempt near their former residence.

“The attack was real. They were lucky to escape that night,” said a neighbour who spoke under condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. “After the failed attempt, the cultists made it clear they would not rest until they got them.”

Family friends disclosed that the threats soon extended to Juliana, with the group openly declaring that if they could not get her husband, they would come for her.

Fearing for their lives, the couple abandoned their Osogbo home and went underground for weeks. But with the shadow of the cultists still looming and no faith in the ability of the authorities to protect them, they made the decision to leave Nigeria entirely.

Human rights observers in Lagos say the case underscores Nigeria’s deep-rooted struggles with cult-related violence and the failure of the justice system to safeguard victims.

“When suspects involved in violent crimes can walk free and immediately go after their targets, it exposes a complete breakdown in accountability,” said a rights activist. “This is why people are forced to seek safety abroad.”

Cult-related violence has long plagued Nigeria, spreading from campuses into wider communities and, in some cases, finding protection within political circles. Witnesses and victims who stand up to such groups are often silenced, leaving justice perpetually out of reach.

As of press time, Nigerian authorities had yet to make any public statement on the Dahunsis’ disappearance.