- Kwara monarch and six others escape from bandits’ camp.
- Vigilantes attacked bandits in the forest.
- Bandits earlier demanded N150 million ransom.
- Escape confirmed by community sources.
There was relief in the Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State on Sunday as the kidnapped monarch, Alhaji Kamilu Salami, popularly known as the Ojibara of Bayagan, and six other abducted victims regained their freedom after escaping from a bandits’ hideout.
According to community sources, the victims escaped when a team of vigilantes stormed the forest and engaged the kidnappers in a heated gun battle around the Eku Idaji area, close to Igbaja.
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One source confirmed the attack, saying: “The vigilantes launched a tough operation deep inside the forest and confronted the bandits in a serious exchange of fire. The monarch and the other abductees took advantage of the situation to escape.”
The bandits had earlier contacted the community demanding N150 million ransom before the traditional ruler could be released. Residents said the kidnappers forced the monarch to speak with his people to prove he was still alive.
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The Ojibara reportedly told his community that he was taken on a motorcycle for over five hours through thick forest paths and that several other residents from a neighbouring community were also abducted along the way.
The monarch was kidnapped on Saturday by armed men who invaded his farm armed with AK-47 rifles. The situation sparked panic in Bayagan, a large community in Ifelodun LGA.
Efforts to reach police authoritiff s for a formal reaction were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
