The Ojibara of Bayagan, Alhaji Kamilu Salami, has been abducted by suspected bandits from his farm in the Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, sparking intense anxiety and security fears in the community.
The traditional ruler was seized early Saturday morning while attending to activities on his farm premises. Eyewitnesses reported that a gang of bandits, said to be heavily armed with AK-47 rifles, ambushed the monarch and whisked him away to an unknown destination.
The alarm was first raised when fellow farmers in the area discovered Alhaji Salami’s motorcycle abandoned on the farm, prompting a search among local residents.
A source from the community, who requested anonymity, confirmed that a farmer hiding nearby witnessed the abduction. The witness claimed to have seen the kidnappers force the traditional ruler onto a different motorcycle before speeding off into the surrounding bush.
“The whole town is in fear. Our traditional ruler, who is supposed to be the symbol of safety and unity, has been taken from his farm,” a family source lamented.
As at the time of filling this report, there has been no communication from the kidnappers, and no ransom demand has been issued.
The abduction of the Ojibara of Bayagan follows a series of recent security breaches in Kwara State, including the kidnapping of two chiefs and a mass abduction of church worshippers in the Ekiti Local Government Area, all of which have heightened concerns over the escalating banditry problem in the region.
