Bandits Abduct Kwara Traditional Ruler: A Demand for N150 Million Ransom

Bandits have kidnapped a traditional leader in the Bayagan community, located in the Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, specifically Ojibara of Bayagan, Oba Kamilu Salami. Reports indicate that the monarch was taken around 9:30 am on Saturday, November 29, 2025, while he was on his farm by a group of bandits armed with AK-47 rifles. Witnesses say the attack occurred suddenly, leaving the community in fear and confusion.

An anonymous source from the community revealed that a farmer from a nearby village saw the abduction. The eyewitness, who was hiding in a guinea corn field, reported seeing the kidnappers force the traditional ruler onto a motorcycle at gunpoint before fleeing in an unknown direction. According to Vanguard, the bandits reached out to the community early Sunday morning, demanding a ransom of N150 million.

The bandits instructed Oba Ojibara to communicate with his community to prove he was in their custody. The report states that the monarch, in his distress, called on the community to negotiate with the bandits for his swift release. He mentioned that they transported him on a motorcycle through dense forests for over five hours before reaching their location, where they were in contact with the community. The monarch also informed his community that an unknown number of individuals were abducted from the neighboring area while he was being taken away.