Kwara Village Empties as Bandits Attempt Fresh Abduction Amid Monarch’s Kidnap

Kwara Village Empties as Bandits Attempt Fresh Abduction Amid Monarch’s Kidnap

Residents of Bayagan Ile in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State have begun fleeing the community in large numbers following a fresh attempted abduction by bandits on Sunday morning.

The community has been gripped by fear and uncertainty since the abduction of the traditional ruler, Alhaji Kamilu Salami, the Ojibara of Bayagan, who was kidnapped on November 29, 2025, while working on his farm.

Investigations revealed that efforts to secure the monarch’s release have so far been unsuccessful, prompting many residents to relocate from the community, where the monarch is regarded as a major rallying point and symbol of unity.

It was gathered that panic escalated on Sunday after residents raised an alarm upon sighting suspected armed bandits on motorcycles approaching the community. Although the abduction attempt failed, the incident triggered mass relocation, leaving the village nearly deserted.

Confirming the development, community spokesperson, Ayinla Lawal, said residents had been living in serious fear and confusion since the monarch was taken 24 days ago.

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“People have been relocating from our community since the abduction of our monarch,” Lawal said. “The level of fear and confusion cannot be overstated.”

He lamented what he described as a lack of intervention from both the local and state governments, adding that the community had been left to negotiate with the abductors on its own.

“We are begging the government to come to our rescue so that our monarch can be released. We have been negotiating with the bandits and contributing money, but we have not met their demands,” he said.

Lawal disclosed that he last spoke with the abducted monarch on Thursday, describing his condition as emotionally distressing.

“He was begging the community to help him so he could leave that place alive. He said we should not allow him to die in captivity,” he added.

According to him, the community is now almost empty following Sunday’s scare, as residents fled upon hearing a loud noise and spotting the bandits from a distance.

“There is nothing more we can do than continue to appeal to the Kwara State Government. We cannot handle this alone, and we do not want our monarch to die in the hands of the bandits,” Lawal said.

Kwara Village Empties as Bandits Attempt Fresh Abduction Amid Monarch’s Kidnap