Kidnapped Kwara Monarch’s Family Blames Authorities After 9 Days

Kwara – The family of Alhaji Kamilu Salami, the Ojibara of Bayagan-Ile in Ifelodun Local Government Area, has accused the Kwara State Government and the Nigeria Police Force of inaction, more than a week after his abduction by armed men.

The monarch was kidnapped on November 29, 2025, with his captors reportedly demanding what the family described as an “unbearable ransom.” Speaking to SaharaReporters on Monday, Alhaji Rafiu Ayinla Lawal, a senior royal family member, said the family has been left to struggle alone, selling personal properties in a desperate bid to meet the kidnappers’ demands.

“He has been communicating with us from captivity, pleading for us to raise the ransom so he can regain his freedom,” Lawal said. “But the painful part is that the government is not making any effort. That is why we are calling on them and on Nigerians to help us. It is only the family trying everything possible.”

According to the family, the kidnappers occasionally allow phone calls, with the monarch recently urging them to expedite efforts at raising the ransom. Lawal lamented that the Kwara State Government has not contacted the family even once since the abduction.

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“The ransom is far beyond what the family or our small rural community can afford. We have been selling farmlands, personal belongings, and household valuables to try and raise the money,” he said.

The family is now making a public appeal to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the Kwara State Government, and federal security agencies to urgently intervene before the situation deteriorates further.

Kwara State has in recent years faced rising insecurity, with rural communities increasingly targeted by armed groups. Residents said the abduction occurred suddenly, leaving the community in fear and confusion.