A family in Babanla community, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, has appealed to authorities and the public for assistance after kidnappers demanded an additional ₦10 million to release their father, who remains in captivity despite an earlier ransom payment of ₦5 million.
The victim was reportedly abducted after delivering the initial ransom to secure the release of his three children, who were kidnapped by armed men in August.
According to Arewa PUNCH, the incident occurred on the night of August 2, 2025, when gunmen invaded the family’s residence, abducting three siblings, including a nursing mother and whisking them into a forest.
One of the freed victims, Hakeem Qowiyu, who regained his freedom after two months in captivity, recounted the ordeal during an interview in Ilorin.
“On that night, around 11 p.m., we were asleep when they stormed our compound.
“They blindfolded us and forced us to trek for hours before taking us on motorcycles to a forest they called Baba Sango. We got there around 4 a.m.,” he said.
Hakeem explained that the kidnappers initially demanded ₦15 million per victim but later reduced the ransom to ₦5 million after negotiations with his father.
“When they saw we couldn’t raise ₦15 million, they started beating us. My father begged and they agreed to ₦5 million. But after he paid, they released me and my sister, who’s a nursing mother, and held my father back, saying the money wasn’t enough,” he narrated.
The young man added that about 15 other hostages from Kwara and Niger states were also held in the same forest camp.
“My younger siblings keep asking when Daddy will come home. We just want him back alive,” he said tearfully.
His mother, Mrs. Rasheedat Hakeem, said the family had sold all their farmlands and property to raise the initial ₦5 million ransom.
“We have nothing left,” she lamented. “Now they are asking for another ₦10 million. We are helpless.
“We beg the government and kind-hearted Nigerians to help us bring him home.”
She added that the family has been living in fear since the incident and has yet to return home due to the trauma and insecurity in the area.
Confirming the abduction, the spokesperson for the Kwara State Police Command, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said the police were aware of the case and had intensified operations in the affected axis.
“Yes, we are aware of the incident and others in that area. The Commissioner of Police has deployed tactical teams in collaboration with the Nigerian Army, local vigilantes, and the Office of the National Security Adviser to restore calm,” she said.
Ejire-Adeyemi assured residents that the command was working tirelessly to rescue the victims and curb the rising cases of kidnapping in the state.
Meanwhile, security sources disclosed that the Babanla axis and neighbouring areas in Ifelodun, Edu, and Patigi local government areas have recently witnessed a surge in attacks.
Troops from the Nigerian Army’s 22 Armoured Brigade, Sobi, Ilorin, have reportedly intensified joint patrols with the police and local vigilantes as part of a broader effort to dismantle bandit camps along the Kwara–Kogi–Niger corridor.