Updated: Bandits abduct Kwara monarch on his farm

Updated: Bandits abduct Kwara monarch on his farm

The Ojibara of Bayagan, Alhaji Kamilu Salami, has been abducted by suspected bandits in the Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, heightening tension across the community.

The traditional ruler was abducted around 9:30 a.m. on Saturday while working on his farm in Bayagan, a quiet agrarian settlement in the council area.

Sources said the attackers — armed with AK-47 rifles — stormed the farm and whisked the monarch away.

Alarm was raised by fellow farmers who, after failing to locate Alhaji Salami, found his motorcycle abandoned on the farm. Villagers immediately launched a search, fearing the worst.

A community source, who requested anonymity, revealed that a farmer from a neighbouring village witnessed the abduction.

The eyewitness, hiding in a guinea corn field, reportedly saw the gunmen forcing the monarch onto a motorcycle at gunpoint before speeding off in an unknown direction.

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As of press time, neither the monarch’s family nor the community has been contacted, and no ransom demand has been made — a development that has deepened anxiety in the town.

“We are living in fear. Nobody knows what will happen next. The safety of our ruler and the entire community is at stake,” a family member lamented.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ejire Adeyemi, said she was not yet aware of the incident but promised to reach out to the Divisional Police Officer for updates.

The abduction has reignited concerns over the escalating insecurity in Kwara State, particularly in rural communities.

In the past two weeks alone, bandits abducted 38 worshippers at CAC Oke-Isegun, Eruku, killing three.

Barely 24 hours after their rescue, another 20 residents were kidnapped in Isapa, a neighbouring community.

The latest incident adds to the troubling pattern of violent attacks and escalating kidnappings in the state.

Updated: Bandits abduct Kwara monarch on his farm: