Nine days after the abduction of the traditional ruler of Bayagan-Ile in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, the monarch’s family has accused the Kwara State Government and the Nigeria Police Force of abandoning efforts to secure his release.
The monarch, Alhaji Kamilu Salami, the Ojibara of Bayagan-Ile, was kidnapped by armed men on November 29, 2025. Since then, he has remained in captivity, with his abductors reportedly demanding what the family described as an “unbearable” ransom.
Speaking on Monday, a senior member of the royal family, Alhaji Rafiu Ayinla Lawal, said the family has been left to fend for itself, with no contact or intervention from government officials or security agencies.
According to Lawal, the monarch has maintained intermittent communication with the family from captivity, repeatedly pleading with them to raise the ransom demanded by the kidnappers.
“He has been calling us from where he is being held, begging us to complete the ransom so that he can be released,” Lawal said. “Sometimes they allow him to speak with us every two or three days. He even called again yesterday.”
He lamented the absence of official support, describing the silence of the authorities as deeply distressing.
“The painful part is that the government is not making any effort. That is why we are calling on Nigerians to help us. The Kwara State Government and the police have not reached out to us at all. It is only the family struggling to raise the money,” he added.
Lawal disclosed that the kidnappers allowed the monarch to speak to the family again on Sunday, during which he reportedly pleaded with them to hasten efforts at raising the ransom.
“They called us and handed the phone to Kabiyesi. He said we should please do everything possible to complete the money because his condition is terrible,” Lawal said. “Since the day he was kidnapped, no official of the Kwara State Government has contacted the family—not even to ask how we are coping.”
He further revealed that the ransom demand far exceeds what the family and the largely rural community can afford, forcing relatives to sell farmlands, household items, and personal belongings in a desperate bid to secure the monarch’s freedom.
“We cannot sit back and do nothing. We have been selling our properties and running from place to place to raise money, but this burden is too heavy for us alone,” he said. “That is why we are begging Nigerians to come to our rescue since the government and the police have abandoned us.”
The family has now made a public appeal to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the Kwara State Government, and federal security agencies to urgently intervene before the situation worsens.
“Our monarch has been in captivity since November 29, and we need help,” Lawal pleaded. “We cannot carry this alone.”
The abduction of the Ojibara of Bayagan-Ile has heightened concerns over the worsening security situation in Kwara State, particularly in rural communities that have increasingly come under attack by armed groups in recent years.