The traditional ruler who was abducted, Ojibara of Bayagan in Ifelodun local government area of Kwara state, Alh Kamilu Salami, along with six other victims, has successfully escaped from the custody of the bandits.
According to credible community sources, the monarch and the six abducted individuals from a neighbouring village managed to break free after vigilante operatives launched a forceful assault on the criminals hiding in the forest.
One source disclosed that:
“The vigilante team launched an attack on the bandits deep in the forests and engaged them in a fierce battle around the Eku Idaji area, close to Igbaja.
Although the Baale and the six other escapees are yet to arrive in the community, they have made contact with members of the community who confirmed what happened,” the source explained.
The bandits had previously demanded N150 million from the community before considering the release of the traditional ruler.
It was reported earlier on Sunday that the kidnappers reached out to the community in the early hours to insist on the payment. During the conversation, Oba Ojibara was ordered to address his people to prove he was alive and in their custody.
The monarch, sounding distressed, appealed to his community to negotiate with the bandits to secure his swift release.
He narrated that he was transported for over five hours on a motorcycle through dense forest before arriving at the hideout where the abductors communicated with the community.
He also told his people that several others were kidnapped from a nearby settlement while he was being taken away.
Bayagan is a large settlement in the Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara state. The monarch was kidnapped on Saturday by armed bandits who invaded his farm wielding AK-47 rifles.
Efforts to obtain a response from the police were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.