The Bayagan-Ile community in Kwara State’s Ifelodun Local Government Area has expressed concern about the kidnapping of its monarch, Kamilu Salami, the Ojibara of Bayagan-Ile, and has accused security services of remaining silent after the incident.
On November 29 2025, armed bandits abducted the royal father, putting the rural population in a state of fear and uncertainty.
Rafiu Lawal, a spokesman for the Bayagan-Ile Royal Family, said on Sunday that without official updates from the police, it was up to the community to secure the monarch’s release.
“Since His Royal Highness was abducted, the entire community has been thrown into fear, tension, and emotional distress. The Nigeria Police Force has not made any official declaration, update, or public statement concerning the incident,” Lawal said.
Only the community and the royal family, he continued, had been “running around and making all possible efforts” to obtain Salami’s release.
“The community alone cannot shoulder this burden. We desperately need the intervention, support, and strategic involvement of the Kwara State Government to complement our efforts,” Lawal said, calling on Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and federal security agencies to intensify operations and provide timely updates.
Toun Ejire-Adeyemi, spokesman for the Kwara State Police Command, stated that the police were making every effort to rescue the monarch when reached on Sunday.
“The Kwara State police command is doing everything within its capacity to ensure that all abducted victims are released safely to their loved ones.
“You remember the CP paraded some collaborators on Friday; the police are extracting information from them,” she said.
The abduction of the Ojibara highlights growing concerns over banditry and rural insecurity in parts of Kwara, particularly border communities linked to forest pathways that extends into Kogi, Niger, and the North-Central corridor.
