Fresh relief swept through Bayagan community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State on Sunday as the abducted Ojibara of Bayagan, Alhaji Kamilu Salami, and six others regained freedom after fleeing from their captors.
The development, Vanguard reliably gathered Sunday evening, followed a coordinated onslaught by local vigilantes who stormed the forest hideout of the gunmen in a daring rescue move.
Credible community sources told Vanguard that the monarch and the other abductees from a neighbouring settlement took advantage of the intense exchange of gunfire to escape from the kidnappers’ grip.
The source said, “the vigilante team launched an attack on the bandits deep in the forests and engaged them in a fierce battle around the Eku Idaji area, close to Igbaja.
“Although the Baale and the six other escapees are yet to arrive in the community, they have made contact with members of the community who confirmed what happened,” he said.
Before the dramatic escape, the bandits had reportedly demanded N150 million ransom for the monarch’s release. They were said to have contacted the community in the early hours of Sunday, insisting on the amount and allowing the monarch to speak to his people to confirm he was in captivity.
According to earlier accounts, the abducted royal father lamented his ordeal, urging his community to intervene swiftly to secure his release. He was said to have narrated how he was transported on a motorcycle for over five hours through dense forest before reaching the kidnappers’ base.
The monarch also reportedly informed his community that several other residents from a neighbouring settlement were abducted during the same raid.
Bayagan, one of the major communities in Ifelodun Local Government Area, had been thrown into anxiety since Saturday morning when gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles stormed the monarch’s farm around 9:30am and whisked him away.