Suspected bandits have triggered widespread panic in Kwara state after abducting a prominent traditional ruler, the Ojibara of Bayagan kingdom, Oba Kamilu Salami.
Monarch Seized While Farming
The shocking incident occurred on Saturday morning, November 29, when armed men captured the monarch while he was working on his farm in Ifelodun Local Government Area. According to multiple reports including Channels Television, the attack happened suddenly, leaving the community in a state of fear and confusion.
Details surrounding the abduction remain sketchy as police authorities in Kwara state have yet to officially comment on the incident. The kidnapping has intensified security concerns across the northcentral state, where communities have been grappling with increasing criminal activities.
Rising Insecurity in Kwara Communities
This latest abduction adds to a growing list of security challenges facing Kwara state. In November, bandits attacked a branch of Christ Apostolic Church at Oke Isegun in Eruku community, which shares a boundary with Kogi state. During that incident, three people were killed and several worshippers were abducted during a live-streamed service.
Barely 48 hours after the rescue of 38 abducted worshippers in Eruku, gunmen struck again in Isapa, Ekiti LGA, where they seized 11 residents. Community members reported that between 20 and 30 armed men arrived shooting indiscriminately and moving through the settlement with a herd of cattle. An elderly woman was struck by a stray bullet during the assault.
In June, concerned residents had issued a five-point demand addressing the rising wave of insecurity in Ifelodun LGA. Their appeal included the immediate deployment of fully armed security personnel to identified hotspots and the establishment of a permanent joint security base within the local council.
Government Response and Security Measures
In response to the deteriorating security situation, President Bola Tinubu recently instructed the military to expand air surveillance across the innermost parts of the forests in Kwara, where terrorists are believed to be hiding.
The citizens' group had also urged the government to provide training, equipment, and institutional support for local vigilante groups and hunters to enhance their capacity to combat crime. Their statement titled Enough is Enough reflected the growing frustration among residents.
In recent years, criminal gangs in Nigeria's northcentral region have increasingly turned to kidnapping as a means to raise money. Despite a 2022 law that made ransom payments a crime carrying at least 15 years imprisonment, no one has ever been arrested on those charges. The legislation also made abduction punishable by death in cases where victims die, though families often feel compelled to pay to save their loved ones due to the government's inability to ensure safety.
Former Senator Shehu Sani recently blamed corruption for Nigeria's years-long battle with terrorism and banditry, noting that terrorists appear to avoid attacking targets in neighboring countries like Niger, Chad, and Cameroon while freely operating within Nigeria.
