Kwara OPC Leader Abducted During N30m Ransom Delivery Mission
Daring abduction of Bayo Fabiyi and two associates as kidnappers ambush ransom team; police yet to receive formal report
In a tragic turn of events, the Kwara State Coordinator of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) , Bayo Fabiyi, and two others have been abducted while attempting to deliver a ₦30 million ransom and other items for the release of a kidnap victim in Oko-Irese, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The incident, which reportedly occurred on Sunday, has thrown the community into confusion amid disturbing reports that the victim whose release was being negotiated may have been killed before the ransom team arrived at the designated location.
According to sources familiar with the situation, Fabiyi, a driver, and another associate embarked on the mission after suspected kidnappers allegedly demanded ₦30 million, five motorcycles, and three bags of rice as conditions for the victim’s release. The trio was directed to a forest area along the Kwara-Kogi boundary where the exchange was expected to take place.
“They were acting on instructions from the kidnappers. The team went with about ₦30m, five motorcycles, and three bags of rice because that was what was demanded for the victim’s release,” a source said on condition of anonymity. However, the mission reportedly took a tragic turn when the ransom bearers were allegedly ambushed and abducted upon arrival. Instead of securing the victim’s release, the kidnappers seized those who came to deliver the ransom. “Instead of releasing the victim, the kidnappers seized those who came to deliver the ransom. Since then, nobody has heard from them,” the source added.
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Disturbing intelligence later emerged suggesting that the victim at the centre of the negotiations had already been killed before the ransom delivery team embarked on the trip. “What we heard afterwards was that the victim had been killed before the ransom was delivered. Unfortunately, those who went on the mission were unaware of that development,” the source said. According to reports, the victim was a brother to a high-profile politician in the state, though this claim has not been independently verified. The team reportedly took the items to a faraway hill inside the thick forests in Oko-Irese before they were suddenly abducted at gunpoint.
Sources further claimed that Fabiyi had reportedly sought spiritual consultation before embarking on the mission and was allegedly advised against proceeding. “The OPC woman warned Fabiyi not to go on the mission because she saw him tied by the armed bandits. To our surprise, our boss went ahead on the dangerous mission, we didn’t even know until the abduction occurred,” one source claimed. Another member of the group expressed shock, saying, “I was surprised that our boss still went on that trip. We didn’t even know that he went until this abduction incident happened.”
The incident has generated conflicting accounts from officials. While multiple sources confirmed the abduction, the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, stated that the command had not received any formal report regarding the incident. “I am not aware of the incident because it has not been reported to the police. Once a report is made, we will investigate and take appropriate action,” Ojo said. Additionally, the Coordinator of the Kwara South Joint Security Network, Comrade Zubair Olaitan, disputed some details, claiming Fabiyi was carrying only ₦2 million, not ₦30 million, and refuted reports of motorcycle and rice demands. Olaitan, however, commended security forces battling armed bandits along Kwara and Kogi border areas, noting that more needs to be done in terms of adequate logistics. The incident was reportedly not immediately reported to security agencies, creating uncertainty about the timeline of official intervention.
Fabiyi’s abduction comes barely five weeks after he raised concerns over worsening insecurity in Kwara South and called for greater collaboration between security agencies and local security groups. Speaking on May 16, the OPC leader lamented the rising cases of kidnapping and violent crimes in rural communities, arguing that local groups such as the OPC possessed valuable intelligence and knowledge of forest routes that could aid security operations. “We understand the forests, the routes, and the patterns. If properly engaged, we can provide intelligence, local surveillance, and rapid response within communities,” he had said. Fabiyi had attributed the security challenges in the area to the weakening of traditional institutions, poor community intelligence gathering, and the failure to fully integrate local security organisations into efforts to protect rural communities.