Bandits Demand N150 Million Ransom for Kidnapped Kwara Monarch

Bandits Demand N150 Million Ransom for Kidnapped Kwara Monarch

Dramatic Escape Follows Vigilante Onslaught

In a chilling escalation of Nigeria’s ongoing battle against banditry, armed gunmen abducted a revered traditional ruler in Kwara State, demanding a staggering N150 million for his release. The victim, Alhaji Kamilu Salami, the Ojibara of Bayagan in Ifelodun Local Government Area, was seized from his farm in a brazen morning attack. What began as a terrifying ordeal, however, took a miraculous turn when the monarch and six other captives escaped amid a fierce vigilante assault on the bandits’ hideout.

This incident underscores the persistent insecurity plaguing rural communities and the heroic, if improvised, responses from locals stepping in where formal security falls short.

The Shocking Abduction: A Saturday Morning Nightmare

The kidnapping unfolded around 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 30, 2025, in the serene farmlands of Bayagan, a community nestled in Kwara’s Ifelodun LGA. Alhaji Salami, a prominent community leader known for his contributions to local agriculture and traditional governance, was tending to his crops when a gang of masked bandits, armed with AK-47 rifles, stormed the area. 

Eyewitnesses described the attackers as highly coordinated, arriving on motorcycles and overpowering the monarch before bundling him away into the dense surrounding forests. 

Family sources revealed that the bandits wasted no time in asserting control. After a grueling journey lasting over five hours through thick bush paths, the abductees were herded to a remote camp near Eku Idaji, close to the town of Igbaja. 

This was not an isolated strike; the attack coincided with a broader wave of abductions across Nigeria, where bandits kidnapped nearly 490 people in just two weeks, highlighting the audacious scale of these criminal operations. 

In Kwara alone, the incident added to a string of high-profile seizures, including students and farmers, fueling widespread panic in the North Central region.

Alhaji Salami’s abduction sent shockwaves through Bayagan and neighboring communities.

 As a custodian of Yoruba traditions in the area, his role extends beyond royalty, he mediates disputes, promotes cultural festivals, and supports youth empowerment initiatives.

Losing such a figure to banditry not only disrupts social harmony but also erodes trust in state security apparatus, leaving residents questioning the effectiveness of ongoing anti-kidnapping operations.

The Hefty Ransom: A Community Under Siege

By the early hours of Sunday, December 1, the bandits made their demands crystal clear. Through a chilling phone call to community leaders, they insisted on N150 million for the monarch’s safe return a sum that rivals the annual budgets of small local councils and places an impossible burden on the agrarian populace of Bayagan. 

 To underscore their seriousness, the kidnappers allowed Alhaji Salami to speak briefly, his voice trembling as he confirmed his captivity and pleaded with his people to negotiate swiftly for his release.  “They are treating us harshly,” he reportedly lamented, a desperate appeal that mobilized frantic discussions among elders and family members. 

This ransom figure is emblematic of the bandits’ escalating greed. In recent months, similar demands have surged across states like Kogi, Kano, and Sokoto, where abductors have targeted elites and ordinary citizens alike, often blending ransom extortion with territorial control.  Analysts point to porous borders, inadequate intelligence sharing, and the proliferation of small arms as key enablers.

For Bayagan’s residents, many of whom scrape by on subsistence farming, the demand was nothing short of extortionate, prompting urgent calls for government intervention.

A Daring Escape: Vigilantes Turn the Tide

In a plot twist that has inspired hope amid despair, the story did not end in capitulation. By Sunday evening, reports emerged that Alhaji Salami and six other captives, likely from a nearby community had broken free from their captors’ den.  The escape was no stroke of luck; it followed a bold offensive by local vigilantes who tracked the bandits to their forest stronghold in Eku Idaji.

According to Vanguard, the vigilante group, comprising brave young men armed with rudimentary weapons and unyielding resolve, launched a surprise attack deep in the woods.  Gunfire echoed through the trees as the two sides clashed, creating the chaos that allowed the hostages to flee. While exact details of casualties remain unconfirmed, the monarch and his fellow abductees managed to evade recapture and made contact with relatives, though they had not yet reached safety at the time of reporting. 

 This grassroots heroism echoes similar vigilante successes in other bandit-prone areas, where community defense networks have filled gaps left by overstretched police forces.

      The Kwara State Police Command has yet to issue an official statement on the escape, but preliminary investigations are underway to secure the area and apprehend any fleeing suspects.  (Punch News)

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s administration, which has invested in community policing, may now face renewed pressure to bolster forest patrols and equip vigilante units more effectively.

The Bigger Picture: Insecurity’s Grip on Nigeria’s Heartland

This episode is but one thread in Nigeria’s tapestry of insecurity. Kwara State, often seen as a buffer between the volatile North and the relatively stable Southwest, has witnessed a spike in bandit incursions, with over 50 escapes reported in a single recent rampage. 

 Factors like climate change-driven farmer-herder clashes, youth unemployment, and illicit arms flows from neighboring countries exacerbate the crisis. Traditional rulers, symbols of stability, have become prime targets, as seen in parallel abductions in Kaduna and Zamfara.

Experts urge a multi-pronged approach:

Enhanced surveillance via drones, economic diversification for rural youth, and stricter border controls. Civil society groups, including the Arewa Consultative Forum, have condemned the attack and called for federal-state collaboration to dismantle bandit networks.

  For families like the Salamis, the trauma lingers, but the escape offers a glimmer of resilience.

READ MORE ON : President Tinubu Declares Nationwide Security Emergency

Community Resilience and the Path Forward

As Bayagan breathes a collective sigh of relief, the escape of Alhaji Salami serves as a testament to communal solidarity. Neighbors rallied with prayers and resources, while social media buzzed with #FreeOjibara campaigns that amplified the story nationwide. 

Yet, questions remain: How many more monarchs must fall before systemic reforms take hold? And can vigilante actions sustain without risking escalation into full-blown vigilantism?

In the words of a local elder, “Our king is back, but our forests are not safe.” As Nigeria grapples with this hydra-headed monster, stories like this remind us that while bandits may demand fortunes, the human spirit demands justice.

Readers, what are your thoughts on bolstering community security?

stay vigilant, knowledge is our first line of defense.