The Ojibara of Bayagan, Alhaji Kamilu Salami, has been abducted by armed bandits, sparking fresh tension in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The monarch was reportedly seized around 9:30 a.m. on Saturday while working on his farm. Armed men, said to be wielding AK-47 rifles, were alleged to have stormed the location and whisked him away.
It was gathered that fellow farmers first raised the alarm after failing to find the traditional ruler but discovering his motorcycle abandoned on the farmland. Their search soon triggered widespread panic in the community.
A community source, who requested anonymity, said a farmer from a neighbouring village witnessed the incident.
According to the eyewitness, who was hiding in a nearby guinea corn farm, the attackers forced the monarch onto a motorcycle at gunpoint before speeding off.
As at the time of filing this report, the abductors have yet to contact the family or the community, deepening anxiety across Bayagan. No ransom demand has been made.
“We are living in fear. Nobody knows what will happen next. The safety of our ruler and even the entire community is at stake,” a family source lamented.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ejire Adeyemi, said she had not been briefed on the incident but would reach out to the Divisional Police Officer in the area for updates.
“I’m not aware but I will get in touch with the DPO in that area and give you updates shortly,” she said.
The kidnap has once again highlighted the worsening insecurity troubling rural communities in the state. In recent weeks, the Ekiti Local Government Area witnessed a string of attacks, including the abduction of 38 congregants from the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Oke-Isegun, Eruku, where three persons were killed.
Barely a day after the victims were rescued, no fewer than 20 residents were seized in Isapa, about five kilometres from Eruku. They remain in captivity as of press time.