A Nigerian couple, Mr. Opeoluwa Koleosho and his wife, Omowunmi, are currently on the run, and their whereabouts remain unknown, after surviving a wave of brutal terrorist attacks in their hometown of Araromi, Ogun State, toward the end of 2024.
The couple’s story has gripped public attention both locally and internationally, after firsthand accounts revealed the sheer scale of the violence that forced them to abandon their land, livelihood, and even their children. Human rights organizations are now raising alarm over the couple’s safety and the Nigerian government’s inability to protect civilians from insurgent attacks.
According to testimonies gathered from community members and advocacy groups, the Koleoshos were well-known subsistence farmers in the Araromi community. Their lives were upended in late 2024 when Fulani herdsmen and Boko Haram insurgents reportedly launched a coordinated and heavily armed assault on the village.
“People were slaughtered in cold blood. Homes were burned. Women were raped. Crops were destroyed. It was a massacre,” one survivor recalled.
Eyewitnesses say Opeoluwa and Omowunmi Koleosho barely escaped with their lives, sustaining injuries while fleeing through the forest. Like many others, they left behind everything they had ever known and eventually fled to Lagos in search of temporary safety.
But even there, the threat continued.
Militants allegedly returned to the village at night, breaking into homes and hunting down anyone believed to have spoken to the authorities. Reports indicate that those suspected of resistance were killed, often in their homes, in front of family members.
In a desperate effort to reclaim their land, Mr. Opeoluwa Koleosho returned to Araromi five weeks later with a group of men from the community. But their stand was short-lived. The insurgents launched a fresh assault, killing several men involved in the resistance. Opeoluwa once again survived by a stroke of luck.
“It was after this that his name appeared on a target list,” said a community leader who asked to remain anonymous. “They were marked for death. Everyone knew it.”
After this second attempt to fight back, it became clear the family could no longer remain anywhere in Nigeria. The couple reported their situation to local police, but were told outright that the authorities were powerless.
“We lack the weapons and manpower to confront them,” one police officer allegedly told the couple.
With no state protection and no safe haven, Mr Opeoluwa and Omowunmi Koleosho fled again, leaving behind their two young children, Samuel (13) and Oluwabusayo (12), who are currently believed to be in hiding with their grandmother.
Before losing contact, friends say the couple’s physical and mental health had sharply declined. Omowunmi had developed severe panic attacks and chronic insomnia, while Opeoluwa battled dangerously high blood pressure and anxiety.
“They were broken—traumatized by what they saw, and devastated to leave their children behind,” a close friend shared.
Current Status: On the Run, Location Unknown
Despite earlier speculation that the Mr Opeoluwa koleosho may have fled to a neighboring country or Europe, no official trace of their movements has been confirmed.
Human rights groups are warning that the couple may be in extreme danger or living in hiding.
“They are not missing—they are in hiding, out of fear for their lives,” said a spokesperson from Refugee Watch Africa. “We are urging any government or private citizen with information to come forward. They need protection now more than ever.”
Meanwhile, their two children continue to live in fear, unable to attend school or live normal lives. With rising violence in the region and no protection in place, the children are said to be in constant danger.
The Mr Opeoluwa Koleosho case is rapidly becoming a symbol of Nigeria’s worsening security crisis—a reminder of how entire families are being torn apart due to government inaction and growing insurgent power in rural areas.
“This is more than a refugee story. It’s a tragedy that could have been prevented,” said one human rights lawyer following the case. “They asked for help, and none came.”
Anyone with information about the whereabouts or safety of Opeoluwa and Omowunmi Koleosho is urged to contact local authorities, Interpol, or human rights organizations working in the West African region.
