KWARA MONARCH’S MIRACLE ESCAPE — A NATION SAVED BY VIGILANTES, FAILED BY SECURITY
This report contains details related to kidnapping, armed violence, and insecurity.
An Outrage That Should Shake Nigeria
In a country where traditional rulers are supposed to embody peace, heritage, and communal stability, the abduction of the Ojibara of Bayagan, Alhaji Kamilu Salami, once again exposes the terrifying vulnerability of our rural communities. And although the monarch and six others have now escaped, this is not a victory — it is a reminder of a nation living on its knees.
⛓️ The Kidnap: When Violence Walked Into Kwara
According to community sources, the monarch was kidnapped on Saturday around 9:30 a.m. by armed bandits wielding AK‑47 rifles. They stormed his farm and dragged him into the thick forests of Ifelodun LGA.
While being taken away, he reportedly revealed that several others from a neighbouring community had also been abducted.
💰 The Ransom Demand: N150 Million for a Monarch’s Life
In the early hours of Sunday, the bandits contacted the Bayagan community and demanded ₦150 million for the monarch’s release.
They even forced the Ojibara to speak with his people — a chilling reminder of the helplessness forced upon communities living under the shadow of terror.
🛡️ The Turning Point: Vigilantes Flood the Forest
What changed the story was not a police tactical team.
It was not an army battalion.
It was not a government rescue operation.
It was local vigilantes — ordinary men with extraordinary courage.
They launched a fierce attack deep inside the forests around Eku Idaji, near Igbaja, forcing a gunfight with the kidnappers. That fight created the opportunity that allowed the monarch and six others to escape.
At the time of this report, the escapees were still making their way back to the community but had successfully made contact.
🇳🇬 A Hard Truth: Vigilantes Are Doing the Work the Government Should Be Doing
How many more times will communities rescue themselves?
How many monarchs will be kidnapped before the state takes full responsibility for security?
How many forests must become terrorist havens before Nigeria wakes up?
The escape of the Ojibara is a miracle — but miracles should not be national security policy.
📌 What This Means for Nigeria
Bandits have the freedom to kidnap a monarch in broad daylight. Communities are now forced to negotiate ransoms in the hundreds of millions.
* Vigilantes have become the first responders in situations where the state should have full operational dominance.
Kwara is joining the long list of states — Kogi, Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto, Niger — plagued by unchecked rural banditry.
This escape is not the end of a story; it is the beginning of a warning.
Nigeria must:
Establish fully empowered state and community policing frameworks.
Deploy special forces to clear forest corridors across North Central.
Declare all known bandit enclaves as high-risk military zones.
Provide rural intelligence support to vigilantes while regulating their operations.
Kwara has spoken. The forests have spoken. The people have cried long enough.
Final Word
A monarch should never have to beg for his life.
A community should never be forced to raise ransom.
A nation should never rely on luck for survival.
This is not just news.
This is a national alarm.
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