Residents of Bayagan in Kwara State are reeling after the Ojibara of Bayagan, Oba Kamilu Salami, was kidnapped on his farm by masked gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles. The abduction happened Friday morning around 9:30 am when the attackers, who had been trailing the monarch for days, stormed his farm and took him away on a motorcycle, leaving his own bike behind.
In the early hours of Sunday, the kidnappers contacted the palace demanding a ransom of N150 million. Oba Salami managed to speak to his community from captivity, urging them to negotiate his release. “He asked members of his community to come to his rescue and talk to the bandits,” a family source revealed.
Along the route through the forests, several other people from nearby communities were also abducted, heightening fears. While local authorities and security operatives have been put on high alert, negotiations for the monarch’s release have yet to start.
The community remains hopeful for the safe return of their traditional ruler as security efforts continue.
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